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.)
CWE-114 Clase Incompleto
Process Control
Process Control vulnerabilities occur when an application executes commands or loads libraries from an untrusted source or environment, allowing an attacker to run malicious code.
Definición
What is CWE-114?
Process Control vulnerabilities occur when an application executes commands or loads libraries from an untrusted source or environment, allowing an attacker to run malicious code.
This flaw typically manifests in two ways. First, an attacker can directly control the command string itself, often by injecting malicious input that gets passed to a system shell or execution function. Second, an attacker can manipulate the environment in which the command runs—such as the PATH variable or library search order—to change the meaning of a seemingly safe command, causing the application to load a malicious binary or script.
Effectively managing this risk requires validating and sanitizing all external inputs used in execution contexts and hardening the application's runtime environment. While SAST tools can detect dangerous patterns, Plexicus uses AI to analyze your codebase and provide specific, automated remediation suggestions, helping you fix these critical security gaps efficiently across your entire application portfolio.
Impacto en el mundo real
Real-world CVEs caused by CWE-114
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
The following code uses System.loadLibrary() to load code from a native library named library.dll, which is normally found in a standard system directory.
- 2
The problem here is that System.loadLibrary() accepts a library name, not a path, for the library to be loaded. From the Java 1.4.2 API documentation this function behaves as follows [1]: A file containing native code is loaded from the local file system from a place where library files are conventionally obtained. The details of this process are implementation-dependent. The mapping from a library name to a specific filename is done in a system-specific manner. If an attacker is able to place a malicious copy of library.dll higher in the search order than file the application intends to load, then the application will load the malicious copy instead of the intended file. Because of the nature of the application, it runs with elevated privileges, which means the contents of the attacker's library.dll will now be run with elevated privileges, possibly giving them complete control of the system.
- 3
The following code from a privileged application uses a registry entry to determine the directory in which it is installed and loads a library file based on a relative path from the specified directory.
- 4
The code in this example allows an attacker to load an arbitrary library, from which code will be executed with the elevated privilege of the application, by modifying a registry key to specify a different path containing a malicious version of INITLIB. Because the program does not validate the value read from the environment, if an attacker can control the value of APPHOME, they can fool the application into running malicious code.
- 5
The following code is from a web-based administration utility that allows users access to an interface through which they can update their profile on the system. The utility makes use of a library named liberty.dll, which is normally found in a standard system directory.
Ejemplo de código vulnerable
Vulnerable Java
The following code uses System.loadLibrary() to load code from a native library named library.dll, which is normally found in a standard system directory.
...
System.loadLibrary("library.dll");
... Ejemplo de código seguro
Secure 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.
Lista de prevención
How to prevent CWE-114
- Architecture and Design Libraries that are loaded should be well understood and come from a trusted source. The application can execute code contained in the native libraries, which often contain calls that are susceptible to other security problems, such as buffer overflows or command injection. All native libraries should be validated to determine if the application requires the use of the library. It is very difficult to determine what these native libraries actually do, and the potential for malicious code is high. In addition, the potential for an inadvertent mistake in these native libraries is also high, as many are written in C or C++ and may be susceptible to buffer overflow or race condition problems. To help prevent buffer overflow attacks, validate all input to native calls for content and length. If the native library does not come from a trusted source, review the source code of the library. The library should be built from the reviewed source before using it.
Señales de detección
How to detect CWE-114
Plexicus detecta automáticamente CWE-114 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.
Preguntas frecuentes ¿Qué es CWE-114?
¿Qué gravedad tiene CWE-114?
¿Qué lenguajes o plataformas se ven afectados por CWE-114?
¿Cómo puedo prevenir CWE-114?
¿Cómo detecta y corrige Plexicus CWE-114?
¿Dónde puedo aprender más sobre CWE-114?
Frequently asked questions
¿Qué es CWE-114?
Process Control vulnerabilities occur when an application executes commands or loads libraries from an untrusted source or environment, allowing an attacker to run malicious code.
¿Qué gravedad tiene CWE-114?
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-114?
MITRE no ha especificado plataformas afectadas para esta CWE — puede aplicar a la mayoría de los stacks de aplicaciones.
¿Cómo puedo prevenir CWE-114?
Libraries that are loaded should be well understood and come from a trusted source. The application can execute code contained in the native libraries, which often contain calls that are susceptible to other security problems, such as buffer overflows or command injection. All native libraries should be validated to determine if the application requires the use of the library. It is very difficult to determine what these native libraries actually do, and the potential for malicious code is…
¿Cómo detecta y corrige Plexicus CWE-114?
El motor SAST de Plexicus detecta la firma de flujo de datos para CWE-114 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-114?
MITRE publica la definición canónica en https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/114.html. También puedes consultar la documentación de OWASP y NIST para guías relacionadas.
Debilidades relacionadas
Weaknesses related to CWE-114
Recursos
Further reading
- MITRE — CWE-114 oficial https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/114.html
- Seven Pernicious Kingdoms: A Taxonomy of Software Security Errors https://samate.nist.gov/SSATTM_Content/papers/Seven%20Pernicious%20Kingdoms%20-%20Taxonomy%20of%20Sw%20Security%20Errors%20-%20Tsipenyuk%20-%20Chess%20-%20McGraw.pdf
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