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.)
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 manage it.
What is CWE-248?
Real-world CVEs caused by CWE-248
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SDK for OPC Unified Architecture (OPC UA) server has uncaught exception when a socket is blocked for writing but the server tries to send an error
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Java code in a smartphone OS can encounter a "boot loop" due to an uncaught exception
Trajeto do atacante passo a passo
- 1
The following example attempts to resolve a hostname.
- 2
A DNS lookup failure will cause the Servlet to throw an exception.
- 3
The _alloca() function allocates memory on the stack. If an allocation request is too large for the available stack space, _alloca() throws an exception. If the exception is not caught, the program will crash, potentially enabling a denial of service attack. _alloca() has been deprecated as of Microsoft Visual Studio 2005(R). It has been replaced with the more secure _alloca_s().
- 4
EnterCriticalSection() can raise an exception, potentially causing the program to crash. Under operating systems prior to Windows 2000, the EnterCriticalSection() function can raise an exception in low memory situations. If the exception is not caught, the program will crash, potentially enabling a denial of service attack.
Vulnerable Java
The following example attempts to resolve a hostname.
protected void doPost (HttpServletRequest req, HttpServletResponse res) throws IOException {
String ip = req.getRemoteAddr();
InetAddress addr = InetAddress.getByName(ip);
...
out.println("hello " + addr.getHostName());
} Secure pseudo
// Validate, sanitize, or use a safe API before reaching the sink.
function handleRequest(input) {
const safe = validateAndEscape(input);
return executeWithGuards(safe);
} How to prevent CWE-248
- 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.
How to detect CWE-248
O Plexicus deteta automaticamente o CWE-248 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.
Frequently asked questions
O que é o CWE-248?
This vulnerability occurs when a function throws an error or exception, but the calling code does not have a proper handler to catch and manage it.
Qual a gravidade do CWE-248?
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-248?
MITRE lists the following affected platforms: C++, Java, C#.
Como posso prevenir o CWE-248?
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-248?
O motor SAST do Plexicus correlaciona a assinatura de fluxo de dados do CWE-248 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-248?
A MITRE publica a definição canónica em https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/248.html. Pode também consultar a documentação da OWASP e do NIST para orientações adjacentes.
Weaknesses related to CWE-248
Incorrect Control Flow Scoping
This vulnerability occurs when a program fails to return execution to the correct point in the code after finishing a specific operation…
J2EE Bad Practices: Use of System.exit()
This vulnerability occurs when a J2EE application directly calls System.exit(), which forcibly terminates the entire application server…
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…
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…
Declaration of Throws for Generic Exception
This vulnerability occurs when a method is declared to throw an overly broad exception type, such as a generic 'Exception' or 'Throwable'.…
Non-exit on Failed Initialization
This vulnerability occurs when software continues to run as normal after encountering a critical security failure during its startup…
Return Inside Finally Block
This vulnerability occurs when a function places a return statement inside a finally block. This dangerous pattern silently discards any…
Execution After Redirect (EAR)
Execution After Redirect (EAR) occurs when a web application sends a redirect response to a user's browser but continues to run…
Uncaught Exception in Servlet
This vulnerability occurs when a Java Servlet fails to properly catch and handle exceptions, potentially exposing sensitive system…
Further reading
- MITRE — CWE-248 oficial https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/248.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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