CWE-688 Variante Borrador

Function Call With Incorrect Variable or Reference as Argument

This vulnerability occurs when a function is called with the wrong variable or reference passed as an argument. This simple coding mistake can cause the program to behave unpredictably, access…

Definición

What is CWE-688?

This vulnerability occurs when a function is called with the wrong variable or reference passed as an argument. This simple coding mistake can cause the program to behave unpredictably, access incorrect data, or trigger other security flaws.
At its core, this weakness is a straightforward logic error where a developer accidentally passes an unintended variable to a function. Think of it like giving a shipping clerk the wrong address label—the package (data) gets processed, but it goes to the wrong destination (function parameter), leading to corrupted states, incorrect calculations, or exposure of sensitive information. This often happens during code maintenance, when using similar-looking variable names, or when function signatures change. For developers, prevention hinges on code clarity and rigorous review. Use descriptive, distinct variable names to avoid confusion. Implement static analysis tools that can flag potential argument mismatches, especially after refactoring. Always double-check function calls when modifying related code, as this flaw is easy to introduce but can be difficult to trace during debugging when it manifests far from the original error.
Impacto en el mundo real

Real-world CVEs caused by CWE-688

  • CVE-2005-2548

    Kernel code specifies the wrong variable in first argument, leading to resultant NULL pointer 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 Java snippet, the accessGranted() method is accidentally called with the static ADMIN_ROLES array rather than the user roles.

Vulnerable Java 
private static final String[] ADMIN_ROLES = ...;
  public boolean void accessGranted(String resource, String user) {
  	String[] userRoles = getUserRoles(user);
  	return accessGranted(resource, ADMIN_ROLES);
  }
  private boolean void accessGranted(String resource, String[] userRoles) {
```
// grant or deny access based on user roles* 
  		...}
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-688

  • Testing Because this function call often produces incorrect behavior it will usually be detected during testing or normal operation of the product. During testing exercise all possible control paths will typically expose this weakness except in rare cases when the incorrect function call accidentally produces the correct results or if the provided argument type is very similar to the expected argument type.
Señales de detección

How to detect CWE-688

Other

While this weakness might be caught by the compiler in some languages, it can occur more frequently in cases in which the called function accepts variable numbers of arguments, such as format strings in C. It also can occur in loosely typed languages or environments. This might require an understanding of intended program behavior or design to determine whether the value is incorrect.

Auto-corrección de Plexicus

Plexicus detecta automáticamente CWE-688 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-688?

This vulnerability occurs when a function is called with the wrong variable or reference passed as an argument. This simple coding mistake can cause the program to behave unpredictably, access incorrect data, or trigger other security flaws.

¿Qué gravedad tiene CWE-688?

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-688?

MITRE lists the following affected platforms: C, Perl.

¿Cómo puedo prevenir CWE-688?

Because this function call often produces incorrect behavior it will usually be detected during testing or normal operation of the product. During testing exercise all possible control paths will typically expose this weakness except in rare cases when the incorrect function call accidentally produces the correct results or if the provided argument type is very similar to the expected argument type.

¿Cómo detecta y corrige Plexicus CWE-688?

El motor SAST de Plexicus detecta la firma de flujo de datos para CWE-688 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-688?

MITRE publica la definición canónica en https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/688.html. También puedes consultar la documentación de OWASP y NIST para guías relacionadas.

Debilidades relacionadas

Weaknesses related to CWE-688

CWE-628 Padre

Function Call with Incorrectly Specified Arguments

This weakness occurs when a function is called with arguments that are incorrectly specified, causing the function to behave in an…

CWE-683 Hermano

Function Call With Incorrect Order of Arguments

This vulnerability occurs when a program calls a function but supplies the arguments in the wrong order, which can cause unexpected…

CWE-685 Hermano

Function Call With Incorrect Number of Arguments

This weakness occurs when a program calls a function, method, or subroutine but provides the wrong number of arguments—either too many or…

CWE-686 Hermano

Function Call With Incorrect Argument Type

This vulnerability occurs when a program calls a function or method but passes an argument of the wrong data type, which can cause…

CWE-687 Hermano

Function Call With Incorrectly Specified Argument Value

This vulnerability occurs when a function is called with an argument that holds an incorrect or unexpected value, leading to unintended…

Recursos

Further reading

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