Often Misused: String Management
Category ID: 251 (Category)Status: Incomplete
+ Description

Description Summary

Functions that manipulate strings encourage buffer overflows.
+ Applicable Platforms

Languages

C

C++

+ Demonstrative Examples

Example 1

Windows provides the _mbs family of functions to perform various operations on multibyte strings. When these functions are passed a malformed multibyte string, such as a string containing a valid leading byte followed by a single null byte, they can read or write past the end of the string buffer causing a buffer overflow. The following functions all pose a risk of buffer overflow: _mbsinc _mbsdec _mbsncat _mbsncpy _mbsnextc _mbsnset _mbsrev _mbsset _mbsstr _mbstok _mbccpy _mbslen

+ Relationships
NatureTypeIDNameView(s) this relationship pertains toView(s)
ChildOfCategoryCategory133String Errors
Development Concepts699
ChildOfWeakness ClassWeakness Class227Failure to Fulfill API Contract ('API Abuse')
Development Concepts (primary)699
Seven Pernicious Kingdoms (primary)700
ChildOfCategoryCategory633Weaknesses that Affect Memory
Resource-specific Weaknesses (primary)631
MemberOfViewView630Weaknesses Examined by SAMATE
Weaknesses Examined by SAMATE (primary)630
+ Affected Resources
  • Memory
+ Taxonomy Mappings
Mapped Taxonomy NameNode IDFitMapped Node Name
7 Pernicious KingdomsOften Misused: Strings
+ White Box Definitions

Definition: A weakness where code path has:

1. end statement that passes the string item to a string function

2. start statement that malformed the string item

Where "malformed" is defined through the following scenarios:

1. changed to unexpected value

2. incorrect syntactical structure

+ Content History
Submissions
Submission DateSubmitterOrganizationSource
7 Pernicious KingdomsExternally Mined
Modifications
Modification DateModifierOrganizationSource
2008-08-01KDM AnalyticsExternal
added/updated white box definitions
2008-09-08CWE Content TeamMITREInternal
updated Applicable Platforms, Relationships, Taxonomy Mappings
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