CWE-1078: Inappropriate Source Code Style or Formatting

Description

The source code does not follow desired style or formatting for indentation, white space, comments, etc.

Potential Impact

Other

Increase Analytical Complexity

Demonstrative Examples

The usage of symbolic names instead of hard-coded constants is preferred.

The following is an example of using a hard-coded constant instead of a symbolic name.

Bad

char buffer[1024];...fgets(buffer, 1024, stdin);

If the buffer value needs to be changed, then it has to be altered in more than one place. If the developer forgets or does not find all occurrences, in this example it could lead to a buffer overflow.

Good

enum { MAX_BUFFER_SIZE = 1024 };...char buffer[MAX_BUFFER_SIZE];...fgets(buffer, MAX_BUFFER_SIZE, stdin);

In this example the developer will only need to change one value and all references to the buffer size are updated, as a symbolic name is used instead of a hard-coded constant.

Detection Methods

Automated Static Analysis High — Automated static analysis, commonly referred to as Static Application Security Testing (SAST), can find some instances of this weakness by analyzing source code (or binary/compiled code) without having to execute it. Typically, this is done by building a model of data flow and control flow, then sea
Automated Static Analysis - Source Code — An Integrated Development Environment (IDE) or linter can report or highlight this weaknesses.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CWE-1078?

CWE-1078 (Inappropriate Source Code Style or Formatting) is a software weakness identified by MITRE's Common Weakness Enumeration. It is classified as a Class-level weakness. The source code does not follow desired style or formatting for indentation, white space, comments, etc.

How can CWE-1078 be exploited?

Attackers can exploit CWE-1078 (Inappropriate Source Code Style or Formatting) to increase analytical complexity. This weakness is typically introduced during the Implementation phase of software development.

How do I prevent CWE-1078?

Follow secure coding practices, conduct code reviews, and use automated security testing tools (SAST/DAST) to detect this weakness early in the development lifecycle.

What is the severity of CWE-1078?

CWE-1078 is classified as a Class-level weakness (High abstraction). Its actual severity depends on the specific context and how the weakness manifests in your application.