Description
The product accesses or uses a pointer that has not been initialized.
If the pointer contains an uninitialized value, then the value might not point to a valid memory location. This could cause the product to read from or write to unexpected memory locations, leading to a denial of service. If the uninitialized pointer is used as a function call, then arbitrary functions could be invoked. If an attacker can influence the portion of uninitialized memory that is contained in the pointer, this weakness could be leveraged to execute code or perform other attacks. Depending on memory layout, associated memory management behaviors, and product operation, the attacker might be able to influence the contents of the uninitialized pointer, thus gaining more fine-grained control of the memory location to be accessed.
Potential Impact
Confidentiality
Read Memory
Availability
DoS: Crash, Exit, or Restart
Integrity, Confidentiality, Availability
Execute Unauthorized Code or Commands
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 ID | Description |
|---|---|
| CVE-2024-32878 | LLM product has a free of an uninitialized pointer |
| CVE-2019-3836 | Chain: secure communications library does not initialize a local variable for a data structure (CWE-456), leading to access of an uninitialized pointer (CWE-824). |
| CVE-2018-14641 | Chain: C union member is not initialized (CWE-456), leading to access of invalid pointer (CWE-824) |
| CVE-2010-0211 | chain: unchecked return value (CWE-252) leads to free of invalid, uninitialized pointer (CWE-824). |
| CVE-2009-2768 | Pointer in structure is not initialized, leading to NULL pointer dereference (CWE-476) and system crash. |
| CVE-2009-1721 | Free of an uninitialized pointer. |
| CVE-2009-1415 | Improper handling of invalid signatures leads to free of invalid pointer. |
| CVE-2009-0846 | Invalid encoding triggers free of uninitialized pointer. |
| CVE-2009-0040 | Crafted PNG image leads to free of uninitialized pointer. |
| CVE-2008-2934 | Crafted GIF image leads to free of uninitialized pointer. |
| CVE-2007-4682 | Access of uninitialized pointer might lead to code execution. |
| CVE-2007-4639 | Step-based manipulation: invocation of debugging function before the primary initialization function leads to access of an uninitialized pointer and code execution. |
| CVE-2007-4000 | Unchecked return values can lead to a write to an uninitialized pointer. |
| CVE-2007-2442 | zero-length input leads to free of uninitialized pointer. |
| CVE-2007-1213 | Crafted font leads to uninitialized function pointer. |
Showing 15 of 19 observed examples.
Related Weaknesses
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CWE-824?
CWE-824 (Access of Uninitialized Pointer) is a software weakness identified by MITRE's Common Weakness Enumeration. It is classified as a Base-level weakness. The product accesses or uses a pointer that has not been initialized.
How can CWE-824 be exploited?
Attackers can exploit CWE-824 (Access of Uninitialized Pointer) to read memory. This weakness is typically introduced during the Implementation phase of software development.
How do I prevent CWE-824?
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-824?
CWE-824 is classified as a Base-level weakness (Medium abstraction). It has been observed in 19 real-world CVEs.