CWE-1108 Base Incomplete

Excessive Reliance on Global Variables

This weakness occurs when a codebase depends too heavily on global variables to store and manage state, rather than keeping data within appropriate local scopes like functions or classes.

Definition

What is CWE-1108?

This weakness occurs when a codebase depends too heavily on global variables to store and manage state, rather than keeping data within appropriate local scopes like functions or classes.
Excessive use of global variables creates a tightly coupled and fragile architecture. It becomes difficult to track where and how data is modified, leading to unpredictable side effects across the entire application. This lack of encapsulation makes the code harder to understand, test, and debug, as changes in one module can silently break functionality in another. From a security perspective, this poor maintainability indirectly increases risk. It slows down the identification and remediation of actual vulnerabilities because developers must navigate a complex web of dependencies. Furthermore, the constant risk of unintended interactions makes it easier to introduce new security flaws during routine maintenance or feature development.
Auswirkungen in der Praxis

Real-world CVEs caused by CWE-1108

Bisher sind in MITREs Katalog keine öffentlichen CVE-Referenzen mit dieser CWE verknüpft.

Wie Angreifer es ausnutzen

Angreiferpfad Schritt für Schritt

  1. 1

    Identifiziere einen Codepfad, der nicht vertrauenswürdige Eingaben ohne Validierung verarbeitet.

  2. 2

    Erzeuge eine Payload, die das unsichere Verhalten auslöst — Injection, Traversal, Overflow oder Logik-Missbrauch.

  3. 3

    Liefere die Payload über einen normalen Request aus und beobachte die Reaktion der Anwendung.

  4. 4

    Iteriere, bis die Antwort Daten preisgibt, Angreifer-Code ausführt oder Berechtigungen eskaliert.

Verwundbares Codebeispiel

Vulnerable pseudo

MITRE hat kein Codebeispiel für diese CWE veröffentlicht. Das untenstehende Muster ist illustrativ — kanonische Referenzen findest du unter Ressourcen.

Verwundbar pseudo 
// Example pattern — see MITRE for the canonical references.
function handleRequest(input) {
  // Untrusted input flows directly into the sensitive sink.
  return executeUnsafe(input);
}
Sicheres Codebeispiel

Secure pseudo

Sicher pseudo 
// Validate, sanitize, or use a safe API before reaching the sink.
function handleRequest(input) {
  const safe = validateAndEscape(input);
  return executeWithGuards(safe);
}
What changed: the unsafe sink is replaced (or the input is validated/escaped) so the same payload no longer triggers the weakness.
Präventions-Checkliste

How to prevent CWE-1108

  • Architecture Use safe-by-default frameworks and APIs that prevent the unsafe pattern from being expressible.
  • Implementation Validate input at trust boundaries; use allowlists, not denylists.
  • Implementation Apply the principle of least privilege to credentials, file paths, and runtime permissions.
  • Testing Cover this weakness in CI: SAST rules + targeted unit tests for the data flow.
  • Operation Monitor logs for the runtime signals listed in the next section.
Erkennungssignale

How to detect CWE-1108

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 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.)

Plexicus Auto-Fix

Plexicus erkennt CWE-1108 automatisch und öffnet in unter 60 Sekunden einen Fix-PR.

Codex Remedium scannt jeden Commit, identifiziert genau diese Schwachstelle und liefert einen reviewer-ready Pull Request mit dem Patch. Keine Tickets. Keine Hand-offs.

Demo anfordern Plexicus kostenlos testen
Häufig gestellte Fragen

Frequently asked questions

Was ist CWE-1108?

This weakness occurs when a codebase depends too heavily on global variables to store and manage state, rather than keeping data within appropriate local scopes like functions or classes.

Wie gravierend ist CWE-1108?

MITRE hat für diese Schwachstelle keine Exploit-Wahrscheinlichkeit veröffentlicht. Behandle sie als mittlere Auswirkung, bis dein Threat Model anderes belegt.

Welche Sprachen oder Plattformen sind von CWE-1108 betroffen?

MITRE hat für diese CWE keine betroffenen Plattformen spezifiziert — sie kann in den meisten Anwendungs-Stacks auftreten.

Wie kann ich CWE-1108 verhindern?

Use safe-by-default frameworks, validate untrusted input at trust boundaries, and apply the principle of least privilege. Cover the data-flow signature in CI with SAST.

Wie erkennt und behebt Plexicus CWE-1108?

Die SAST-Engine von Plexicus erkennt die Datenfluss-Signatur von CWE-1108 bei jedem Commit. Bei einem Treffer öffnet unser Codex-Remedium-Agent einen Fix-PR mit korrigiertem Code, Tests und einer einzeiligen Zusammenfassung für den Reviewer.

Wo erfahre ich mehr über CWE-1108?

MITRE veröffentlicht die kanonische Definition unter https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/1108.html. Für ergänzende Hinweise kannst du auch die OWASP- und NIST-Dokumentation heranziehen.

Verwandte Schwachstellen

Weaknesses related to CWE-1108

CWE-1076 Parent

Insufficient Adherence to Expected Conventions

This weakness occurs when software code, design, documentation, or other components fail to follow established industry or…

CWE-1045 Sibling

Parent Class with a Virtual Destructor and a Child Class without a Virtual Destructor

This occurs when a base class defines a virtual destructor, but a derived class inherits from it without declaring its own virtual…

CWE-1070 Sibling

Serializable Data Element Containing non-Serializable Item Elements

This weakness occurs when a class or data structure is marked as serializable, but it contains one or more member elements that cannot be…

CWE-1078 Sibling

Inappropriate Source Code Style or Formatting

This weakness occurs when source code violates established style guidelines for formatting, indentation, whitespace, or commenting, making…

CWE-1079 Sibling

Parent Class without Virtual Destructor Method

This occurs when a base class, designed to be inherited from, does not declare its destructor as virtual. This oversight prevents proper…

CWE-1082 Sibling

Class Instance Self Destruction Control Element

This vulnerability occurs when an object's code contains logic that triggers its own deletion or destruction during runtime.

CWE-1087 Sibling

Class with Virtual Method without a Virtual Destructor

This occurs when a class defines a virtual method but does not also provide a virtual destructor.

CWE-1091 Sibling

Use of Object without Invoking Destructor Method

This weakness occurs when a program accesses an object but fails to properly call its destructor or finalizer method. This leaves the…

CWE-1097 Sibling

Persistent Storable Data Element without Associated Comparison Control Element

This weakness occurs when a persistent data object lacks the necessary methods to be properly compared, which can lead to inconsistent or…

Ressourcen

Further reading

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