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Base · Medium

CWE-822: Untrusted Pointer Dereference

The product obtains a value from an untrusted source, converts this value to a pointer, and dereferences the resulting pointer.

CWE-822 · Base Level ·8 CVEs

Description

The product obtains a value from an untrusted source, converts this value to a pointer, and dereferences the resulting pointer.

An attacker can supply a pointer for memory locations that the product is not expecting. If the pointer is dereferenced for a write operation, the attack might allow modification of critical state variables, cause a crash, or execute code. If the dereferencing operation is for a read, then the attack might allow reading of sensitive data, cause a crash, or set a variable to an unexpected value (since the value will be read from an unexpected memory location). There are several variants of this weakness, including but not necessarily limited to:

Potential Impact

Confidentiality

Read Memory

Availability

DoS: Crash, Exit, or Restart

Integrity, Confidentiality, Availability

Execute Unauthorized Code or Commands, Modify Memory

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 Dynamic Analysis Moderate — Use tools that are integrated during compilation to insert runtime error-checking mechanisms related to memory safety errors, such as AddressSanitizer (ASan) for C/C++ [REF-1518].

Real-World CVE Examples

CVE IDDescription
CVE-2007-5655message-passing framework interprets values in packets as pointers, causing a crash.
CVE-2010-2299labeled as a "type confusion" issue, also referred to as a "stale pointer." However, the bug ID says "contents are simply interpreted as a pointer... renderer ordinarily doesn't supply this pointer di
CVE-2009-1719Untrusted dereference using undocumented constructor.
CVE-2009-1250An error code is incorrectly checked and interpreted as a pointer, leading to a crash.
CVE-2009-0311An untrusted value is obtained from a packet and directly called as a function pointer, leading to code execution.
CVE-2010-1818Undocumented attribute in multimedia software allows "unmarshaling" of an untrusted pointer.
CVE-2010-3189ActiveX control for security software accepts a parameter that is assumed to be an initialized pointer.
CVE-2010-1253Spreadsheet software treats certain record values that lead to "user-controlled pointer" (might be untrusted offset, not untrusted pointer).

CWE-119: Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer

The product performs operations on a memory buffer, but it reads from or writes to a memory location outside the buffer'...

CWE-125: Out-of-bounds Read

The product reads data past the end, or before the beginning, of the intended buffer.

CWE-787: Out-of-bounds Write

The product writes data past the end, or before the beginning, of the intended buffer.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CWE-822?

CWE-822 (Untrusted Pointer Dereference) is a software weakness identified by MITRE's Common Weakness Enumeration. It is classified as a Base-level weakness. The product obtains a value from an untrusted source, converts this value to a pointer, and dereferences the resulting pointer.

How can CWE-822 be exploited?

Attackers can exploit CWE-822 (Untrusted Pointer Dereference) to read memory. This weakness is typically introduced during the Implementation phase of software development.

How do I prevent CWE-822?

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-822?

CWE-822 is classified as a Base-level weakness (Medium abstraction). It has been observed in 8 real-world CVEs.