CWE-1164 Classe Incompleto

Irrelevant Code

Irrelevant code refers to sections of a program that have no impact on its execution, data, or logic. Removing this code would not change the software's behavior or correctness, as it performs no…

Definição

What is CWE-1164?

Irrelevant code refers to sections of a program that have no impact on its execution, data, or logic. Removing this code would not change the software's behavior or correctness, as it performs no meaningful operations.
This issue often appears as dead code that is never executed, unnecessary variable initializations, empty conditional blocks, or leftover debugging statements. It can also include code rendered obsolete by compiler optimizations or incomplete refactoring. While seemingly harmless, this clutter increases the codebase size and complexity, making it harder to read, test, and maintain. For developers, irrelevant code is a maintenance burden and a potential security risk. It can mislead those reviewing or updating the software, hiding the actual program logic. Regularly auditing and removing such code—through static analysis tools and code reviews—improves security by reducing the attack surface and ensuring that only necessary, understood code remains in production.
Impacto no mundo real

Real-world CVEs caused by CWE-1164

  • chain: incorrect "goto" in Apple SSL product bypasses certificate validation, allowing Adversary-in-the-Middle (AITM) attack (Apple "goto fail" bug). CWE-705 (Incorrect Control Flow Scoping) -> CWE-561 (Dead Code) -> CWE-295 (Improper Certificate Validation) -> CWE-393 (Return of Wrong Status Code) -> CWE-300 (Channel Accessible by Non-Endpoint).

Como os atacantes a exploram

Trajeto do atacante passo a passo

  1. 1

    Identificar um caminho de código que trata input não confiável sem validação.

  2. 2

    Criar um payload que explora o comportamento inseguro — injeção, traversal, overflow ou abuso de lógica.

  3. 3

    Entregar o payload através de um pedido normal e observar a reação da aplicação.

  4. 4

    Iterar até que a resposta exponha dados, execute código do atacante ou escale privilégios.

Exemplo de código vulnerável

Vulnerable C++

The condition for the second if statement is impossible to satisfy. It requires that the variables be non-null. However, on the only path where s can be assigned a non-null value, there is a return statement.

Vulnerável C++
String s = null;
  if (b) {
  	s = "Yes";
  	return;
  }
  if (s != null) {
  	Dead();
  }
Exemplo 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 verificação de prevenção

How to prevent CWE-1164

  • 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.
Sinais de deteção

How to detect CWE-1164

SAST High

Executar análise estática (SAST) na base de código à procura do padrão inseguro no fluxo de dados.

DAST Moderate

Executar testes dinâmicos de segurança de aplicações (DAST) contra o endpoint em execução.

Runtime Moderate

Monitorizar os registos em tempo de execução para traços de exceção invulgares, input malformado ou tentativas de contornar a autorização.

Code review Moderate

Revisão de código: sinalizar qualquer novo código que trate input desta superfície sem usar os ajudantes validados do framework.

Correção automática do Plexicus

O Plexicus deteta automaticamente o CWE-1164 e abre um PR de correção em menos de 60 segundos.

O Codex Remedium analisa cada commit, identifica esta fraqueza exata e entrega um pull request pronto para revisão com o patch. Sem tickets. Sem transferências.

Perguntas frequentes

Frequently asked questions

O que é o CWE-1164?

Irrelevant code refers to sections of a program that have no impact on its execution, data, or logic. Removing this code would not change the software's behavior or correctness, as it performs no meaningful operations.

Qual a gravidade do CWE-1164?

A MITRE não publicou uma classificação de probabilidade de exploração para esta fraqueza. Trate-a como impacto médio até o seu modelo de ameaças provar o contrário.

Que linguagens ou plataformas são afetadas pelo CWE-1164?

A MITRE não especificou as plataformas afetadas por este CWE — pode aplicar-se à maioria das stacks de aplicações.

Como posso prevenir o CWE-1164?

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.

Como é que o Plexicus deteta e corrige o CWE-1164?

O motor SAST do Plexicus correlaciona a assinatura de fluxo de dados do CWE-1164 em cada commit. Quando é encontrada uma correspondência, o nosso agente Codex Remedium abre um PR de correção com o código corrigido, testes e um resumo de uma linha para o revisor.

Onde posso saber mais sobre o CWE-1164?

A MITRE publica a definição canónica em https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/1164.html. Pode também consultar a documentação da OWASP e do NIST para orientações adjacentes.

Fraquezas relacionadas

Weaknesses related to CWE-1164

CWE-710 Pai

Improper Adherence to Coding Standards

This weakness occurs when developers don't consistently follow established coding standards and best practices, which can introduce…

CWE-1041 Irmão

Use of Redundant Code

This weakness occurs when a codebase contains identical or nearly identical logic duplicated across multiple functions, methods, or…

CWE-1044 Irmão

Architecture with Number of Horizontal Layers Outside of Expected Range

This occurs when a software system is built with either too many or too few distinct architectural layers, falling outside a recommended…

CWE-1048 Irmão

Invokable Control Element with Large Number of Outward Calls

This weakness occurs when a single function, method, or callable code block makes an excessively high number of calls to other objects or…

CWE-1059 Irmão

Insufficient Technical Documentation

This weakness occurs when a software or hardware product lacks comprehensive technical documentation. Missing or incomplete details about…

CWE-1061 Irmão

Insufficient Encapsulation

This weakness occurs when a software component exposes too much of its internal workings, such as data structures or implementation logic.…

CWE-1065 Irmão

Runtime Resource Management Control Element in a Component Built to Run on Application Servers

This weakness occurs when an application built to run on a managed application server bypasses the server's high-level APIs and instead…

CWE-1066 Irmão

Missing Serialization Control Element

This weakness occurs when a class or data structure is marked as serializable but lacks the required control methods to properly handle…

CWE-1068 Irmão

Inconsistency Between Implementation and Documented Design

This weakness occurs when the actual code implementation deviates from the intended design described in its official documentation,…

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