CWE-1071 Base Incompleto

Empty Code Block

An empty code block occurs when a section of source code, such as a conditional statement or function body, contains no executable statements.

Definición

What is CWE-1071?

An empty code block occurs when a section of source code, such as a conditional statement or function body, contains no executable statements.
Empty blocks can appear in various places like if/else conditionals, loops, function definitions, or exception handlers. While sometimes intentionally used as a placeholder, they often signal problems like incomplete features, accidentally deleted logic, or unexpected behavior from macros or code generators. For developers, these empty blocks are a red flag. Even if the language syntax allows them, they frequently violate API contracts or expected program behavior, leading to silent failures or security issues where an action is assumed but never executed. Code reviews should actively identify and justify any empty block to prevent unintentional gaps in application logic.
Impacto en el mundo real

Real-world CVEs caused by CWE-1071

Todavía no hay CVEs públicos enlazados a esta CWE en el catálogo de MITRE.

Cómo lo explotan los atacantes

Ruta del atacante paso a paso

  1. 1

    In the following Java example, the code catches an ArithmeticException.

  2. 2

    Since the exception block is empty, no action is taken.

  3. 3

    In the code below the exception has been logged and the bad execution has been handled in the desired way allowing the program to continue in an expected way.

  4. 4

    The following code attempts to synchronize on an object, but does not execute anything in the synchronized block. This does not actually accomplish anything and may be a sign that a programmer is wrestling with synchronization but has not yet achieved the result they intend.

  5. 5

    Instead, in a correct usage, the synchronized statement should contain procedures that access or modify data that is exposed to multiple threads. For example, consider a scenario in which several threads are accessing student records at the same time. The method which sets the student ID to a new value will need to make sure that nobody else is accessing this data at the same time and will require synchronization.

Ejemplo de código vulnerable

Vulnerable Java

In the following Java example, the code catches an ArithmeticException.

Vulnerable Java 
public class Main {
  	public static void main(String[] args) { 
  		int a = 1; 
  		int b = 0; 
  		int c = 0;
  		try { 
  			c = a / b;
  		} catch(ArithmeticException ae) { 
  		}
  	}
  }
Ejemplo de código seguro

Secure Java

In the code below the exception has been logged and the bad execution has been handled in the desired way allowing the program to continue in an expected way.

Seguro Java 
public class Main {
  	public static void main(String[] args) { 
  		int a = 1; 
  		int b = 0; 
  		int c = 0;
  		try { 
  			c = a / b;
  		} catch(ArithmeticException ae) { 
  			log.error("Divided by zero detected, setting to -1."); 
  			c = -1;
  		}
  	}
  }
What changed: the unsafe sink is replaced (or the input is validated/escaped) so the same payload no longer triggers the weakness.
Lista de prevención

How to prevent CWE-1071

  • 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.
Señales de detección

How to detect CWE-1071

SAST High

Ejecuta análisis estático (SAST) sobre el código buscando el patrón inseguro en el flujo de datos.

DAST Moderate

Ejecuta pruebas dinámicas de seguridad de aplicaciones (DAST) contra el endpoint en vivo.

Runtime Moderate

Vigila los logs en tiempo de ejecución para detectar trazas de excepción inusuales, entradas malformadas o intentos de bypass de autorización.

Code review Moderate

Revisión de código: marca cualquier código nuevo que maneje entrada desde esta superficie sin usar los helpers validados del framework.

Auto-corrección de Plexicus

Plexicus detecta automáticamente CWE-1071 y abre un PR de corrección en menos de 60 segundos.

Codex Remedium escanea cada commit, identifica esta debilidad concreta y entrega un pull request listo para revisión con el parche. Sin tickets. Sin traspasos.

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Preguntas frecuentes

Frequently asked questions

¿Qué es CWE-1071?

An empty code block occurs when a section of source code, such as a conditional statement or function body, contains no executable statements.

¿Qué gravedad tiene CWE-1071?

MITRE no ha publicado una calificación de probabilidad de explotación para esta debilidad. Trátala como de impacto medio hasta que tu modelo de amenazas demuestre lo contrario.

¿Qué lenguajes o plataformas se ven afectados por CWE-1071?

MITRE no ha especificado plataformas afectadas para esta CWE — puede aplicar a la mayoría de los stacks de aplicaciones.

¿Cómo puedo prevenir CWE-1071?

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.

¿Cómo detecta y corrige Plexicus CWE-1071?

El motor SAST de Plexicus detecta la firma de flujo de datos para CWE-1071 en cada commit. Cuando hay coincidencia, nuestro agente Codex Remedium abre un PR de corrección con el código corregido, las pruebas y un resumen de una línea para el revisor.

¿Dónde puedo aprender más sobre CWE-1071?

MITRE publica la definición canónica en https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/1071.html. También puedes consultar la documentación de OWASP y NIST para guías relacionadas.

Debilidades relacionadas

Weaknesses related to CWE-1071

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Empty Synchronized Block

An empty synchronized block is a Java code construct where a synchronized block exists but contains no executable statements inside it.

Recursos

Further reading

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