1190
Description
The product has a method that is declared public, but returns a reference to a private data
structure, which could then be modified in unexpected ways.
Relationships
The table(s) below shows the weaknesses and high level categories that are related to this
weakness. These relationships are defined as ChildOf, ParentOf, MemberOr and give insight to
similar items that may exist at higher and lower levels of abstraction. In addition, relationships such
as PeerOf and CanAlsoBe are defined to show similar weaknesses that may want to be explored.
Relevant to the view "Research Concepts" (CWE-1000)
Nature Type ID Name Page
ChildOf 664 Improper Control of a Resource Through its Lifetime 1454
Applicable Platforms
Language : C (Prevalence = Undetermined)
Language : C++ (Prevalence = Undetermined)
Language : Java (Prevalence = Undetermined)
Language : C# (Prevalence = Undetermined)
Common Consequences
Scope Impact Likelihood
Integrity Modify Application Data
The contents of the data structure can be modified from
outside the intended scope.
Detection Methods
Automated Static Analysis
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 searching for potentially-vulnerable patterns that connect "sources" (origins of input)
with "sinks" (destinations where the data interacts with external components, a lower layer such
as the OS, etc.)
Effectiveness = High
Potential Mitigations
Phase: Implementation
Declare the method private.
Phase: Implementation
Clone the member data and keep an unmodified version of the data private to the object.
Phase: Implementation
Use public setter methods that govern how a private member can be modified.
Demonstrative Examples
Example 1:
Here, a public method in a Java class returns a reference to a private array. Given that arrays
in Java are mutable, any modifications made to the returned reference would be reflected in the
original private array.
CWE Version 4.14
CWE-495: Private Data Structure Returned From A Public Method
CWE-495: Private Data Structure Returned From A Public Method