CWE-413 Base Borrador

Improper Resource Locking

This vulnerability occurs when an application fails to properly lock a shared resource, such as a file or memory location, before performing operations that require exclusive access.

Definición

What is CWE-413?

This vulnerability occurs when an application fails to properly lock a shared resource, such as a file or memory location, before performing operations that require exclusive access.
Without a proper locking mechanism, concurrent threads or processes can read or modify the same resource simultaneously. This race condition violates the developer's assumption that the resource state is stable during the critical operation, leading to data corruption, crashes, or incorrect application behavior. Detecting these subtle timing issues in complex, distributed systems is challenging. While SAST tools can flag potential patterns, Plexicus uses AI to analyze runtime context and suggest precise code fixes—like implementing mutexes or semaphores—automating remediation and saving significant manual review time.
Impacto en el mundo real

Real-world CVEs caused by CWE-413

  • CVE-2022-20141

    Chain: an operating system kernel has insufficent resource locking (CWE-413) leading to a use after free (CWE-416).

Cómo lo explotan los atacantes

Ruta del atacante paso a paso

  1. 1

    The following function attempts to acquire a lock in order to perform operations on a shared resource.

  2. 2

    However, the code does not check the value returned by pthread_mutex_lock() for errors. If pthread_mutex_lock() cannot acquire the mutex for any reason, the function may introduce a race condition into the program and result in undefined behavior.

  3. 3

    In order to avoid data races, correctly written programs must check the result of thread synchronization functions and appropriately handle all errors, either by attempting to recover from them or reporting them to higher levels.

  4. 4

    This Java example shows a simple BankAccount class with deposit and withdraw methods.

  5. 5

    However, the deposit and withdraw methods have shared access to the account balance private class variable. This can result in a race condition if multiple threads attempt to call the deposit and withdraw methods simultaneously where the account balance is modified by one thread before another thread has completed modifying the account balance. For example, if a thread attempts to withdraw funds using the withdraw method before another thread that is depositing funds using the deposit method completes the deposit then there may not be sufficient funds for the withdraw transaction.

Ejemplo de código vulnerable

Vulnerable C

The following function attempts to acquire a lock in order to perform operations on a shared resource.

Vulnerable C 
void f(pthread_mutex_t *mutex) {
  		pthread_mutex_lock(mutex);
```
/* access shared resource */* 
  		
  		
  		pthread_mutex_unlock(mutex);}
Ejemplo de código seguro

Secure C

In order to avoid data races, correctly written programs must check the result of thread synchronization functions and appropriately handle all errors, either by attempting to recover from them or reporting them to higher levels.

Seguro C 
int f(pthread_mutex_t *mutex) {
  		int result;
  		result = pthread_mutex_lock(mutex);
  		if (0 != result)
  			return result;
```
/* access shared resource */* 
  		
  		
  		return pthread_mutex_unlock(mutex);}
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-413

  • Architecture and Design Use a non-conflicting privilege scheme.
  • Architecture and Design / Implementation Use synchronization when locking a resource.
Señales de detección

How to detect CWE-413

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.)

Auto-corrección de Plexicus

Plexicus detecta automáticamente CWE-413 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-413?

This vulnerability occurs when an application fails to properly lock a shared resource, such as a file or memory location, before performing operations that require exclusive access.

¿Qué gravedad tiene CWE-413?

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-413?

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

¿Cómo puedo prevenir CWE-413?

Use a non-conflicting privilege scheme. Use synchronization when locking a resource.

¿Cómo detecta y corrige Plexicus CWE-413?

El motor SAST de Plexicus detecta la firma de flujo de datos para CWE-413 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-413?

MITRE publica la definición canónica en https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/413.html. También puedes consultar la documentación de OWASP y NIST para guías relacionadas.

Debilidades relacionadas

Weaknesses related to CWE-413

CWE-667 Padre

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Improper Lock Behavior After Power State Transition

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CWE-1233 Hermano

Security-Sensitive Hardware Controls with Missing Lock Bit Protection

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CWE-1234 Hermano

Hardware Internal or Debug Modes Allow Override of Locks

Hardware debug modes or internal states can bypass critical system lock protections, allowing unauthorized changes to device configuration.

CWE-412 Hermano

Unrestricted Externally Accessible Lock

This vulnerability occurs when a system correctly checks for a lock's existence, but an unauthorized external actor can control or…

CWE-414 Hermano

Missing Lock Check

This vulnerability occurs when software fails to verify that a proper synchronization lock is active before accessing or modifying a…

CWE-609 Hermano

Double-Checked Locking

Double-checked locking is an insufficient synchronization pattern where a program checks a resource's state, acquires a lock, and checks…

CWE-764 Hermano

Multiple Locks of a Critical Resource

This vulnerability occurs when a critical resource, such as a file, data structure, or connection, is locked more times than the software…

CWE-765 Hermano

Multiple Unlocks of a Critical Resource

This vulnerability occurs when a critical resource, like a lock or semaphore, is unlocked more times than it was locked, putting the…

Recursos

Further reading

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