Symbolic Name not Mapping to Correct Object
This vulnerability occurs when a program uses a fixed symbolic name (like a constant or identifier) to refer to an object, but that name can later point to a different, unintended object during execution.
At its core, this flaw is a mismatch between a developer's assumption and the runtime environment's behavior. Developers often use symbolic names—think of environment variables, registry keys, fixed file paths, or named constants—believing they reliably point to one specific resource or piece of data. However, if the system or application state changes, that same symbolic name can resolve to a completely different object. This breaks the program's logic and can lead to dangerous scenarios where the code processes untrusted data thinking it's something safe. The risk emerges because the symbolic reference is not securely bound to its intended target. For example, an application might use a constant like `CONFIG_FILE` pointing to `/etc/app/config.json`. If an attacker can create a symlink with that same name or modify environment variables, the program could be tricked into loading a malicious file. To prevent this, developers should avoid relying on unvalidated symbolic mappings. Instead, use direct object references, verify the object's integrity before use, or implement proper locking mechanisms to ensure the binding between name and object cannot be hijacked.
Impact: Gain Privileges or Assume Identity
The attacker can gain access to otherwise unauthorized resources.
Impact: Modify Application DataModify Files or DirectoriesRead Application DataRead Files or DirectoriesOther
Race conditions such as this kind may be employed to gain read or write access to resources not normally readable or writable by the user in question.
Impact: Modify Application DataOther
The resource in question, or other resources (through the corrupted one) may be changed in undesirable ways by a malicious user.
Impact: Hide Activities
If a file or other resource is written in this method, as opposed to a valid way, logging of the activity may not occur.
Impact: Modify Files or Directories
In some cases it may be possible to delete files that a malicious user might not otherwise have access to -- such as log files.
- CLASP