CWE-392 Base Borrador

Missing Report of Error Condition

This vulnerability occurs when a system fails to properly signal that an error has happened. Instead of returning a clear error code, status, or exception, the software continues as if nothing went…

Definición

What is CWE-392?

This vulnerability occurs when a system fails to properly signal that an error has happened. Instead of returning a clear error code, status, or exception, the software continues as if nothing went wrong, leaving other components unaware of the failure.
When a function or system component encounters a problem but doesn't report it, the calling code assumes success and proceeds with invalid or corrupted data. This silent failure can cause cascading issues like data corruption, security bypasses, or system crashes further down the line, making debugging extremely difficult because the original error point is hidden. To prevent this, developers should design consistent error-handling contracts. Every function should explicitly return a status code, throw an exception, or use a language-specific mechanism to communicate failure. Logging the error internally is not enough—the calling process must receive a clear, actionable signal to handle the condition appropriately and avoid operating on unsafe assumptions.
Impacto en el mundo real

Real-world CVEs caused by CWE-392

  • [REF-1374]

    Chain: JavaScript-based cryptocurrency library can fall back to the insecure Math.random() function instead of reporting a failure (CWE-392), thus reducing the entropy (CWE-332) and leading to generation of non-unique cryptographic keys for Bitcoin wallets (CWE-1391)

  • CVE-2004-0063

    Function returns "OK" even if another function returns a different status code than expected, leading to accepting an invalid PIN number.

  • CVE-2002-1446

    Error checking routine in PKCS#11 library returns "OK" status even when invalid signature is detected, allowing spoofed messages.

  • CVE-2002-0499

    Kernel function truncates long pathnames without generating an error, leading to operation on wrong directory.

  • CVE-2005-2459

    Function returns non-error value when a particular erroneous condition is encountered, leading to resultant NULL dereference.

Cómo lo explotan los atacantes

Ruta del atacante paso a paso

  1. 1

    Identifica una ruta de código que maneje entrada no confiable sin validación.

  2. 2

    Crea un payload que ejercite el comportamiento inseguro — inyección, traversal, overflow o abuso de lógica.

  3. 3

    Envía el payload a través de una solicitud normal y observa la reacción de la aplicación.

  4. 4

    Itera hasta que la respuesta filtre datos, ejecute código del atacante o escale privilegios.

Ejemplo de código vulnerable

Vulnerable Java

In the following snippet from a doPost() servlet method, the server returns "200 OK" (default) even if an error occurs.

Vulnerable Java 
try {
```
// Something that may throw an exception.* 
  		...} catch (Throwable t) {
  ```
  	logger.error("Caught: " + t.toString());
  	return;
  }
Ejemplo de código seguro

Secure pseudo

Seguro 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-392

  • 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-392

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-392 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-392?

This vulnerability occurs when a system fails to properly signal that an error has happened. Instead of returning a clear error code, status, or exception, the software continues as if nothing went wrong, leaving other components unaware of the failure.

¿Qué gravedad tiene CWE-392?

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-392?

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

¿Cómo puedo prevenir CWE-392?

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-392?

El motor SAST de Plexicus detecta la firma de flujo de datos para CWE-392 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-392?

MITRE publica la definición canónica en https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/392.html. También puedes consultar la documentación de OWASP y NIST para guías relacionadas.

Debilidades relacionadas

Weaknesses related to CWE-392

CWE-755 Padre

Improper Handling of Exceptional Conditions

This vulnerability occurs when software fails to properly manage unexpected situations or errors, leaving it in an unstable or insecure…

CWE-209 Hermano

Generation of Error Message Containing Sensitive Information

This vulnerability occurs when an application reveals sensitive details about its internal systems, user data, or environment within error…

CWE-248 Hermano

Uncaught Exception

This vulnerability occurs when a function throws an error or exception, but the calling code does not have a proper handler to catch and…

CWE-274 Hermano

Improper Handling of Insufficient Privileges

This vulnerability occurs when an application fails to properly manage situations where it lacks the necessary permissions to execute an…

CWE-280 Hermano

Improper Handling of Insufficient Permissions or Privileges

This vulnerability occurs when a system fails to properly manage situations where it lacks the necessary permissions to perform an action…

CWE-333 Hermano

Improper Handling of Insufficient Entropy in TRNG

This vulnerability occurs when a system fails to properly manage the limited or unpredictable output rate of a true random number…

CWE-390 Hermano

Detection of Error Condition Without Action

This weakness occurs when software successfully identifies an error condition but then fails to take any meaningful action to address it.…

CWE-395 Hermano

Use of NullPointerException Catch to Detect NULL Pointer Dereference

Using a try-catch block for NullPointerException as a substitute for proper null checks is an anti-pattern. This approach masks the root…

CWE-396 Hermano

Declaration of Catch for Generic Exception

This weakness occurs when code catches a generic exception type like 'Exception' or 'Throwable', which can hide specific errors and create…

Recursos

Further reading

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