CWE-1098: Data Element containing Pointer Item without Proper Copy Control Element
Learn about CWE-1098 (Data Element containing Pointer Item without Proper Copy Control Element), its security impact, exploitation methods, and prevention guidelines.
What is Data Element containing Pointer Item without Proper Copy Control Element?
• Overview: This vulnerability occurs when a program contains a data element with a pointer but lacks proper mechanisms such as a copy constructor or copy control method to manage the pointer's duplication safely. This can lead to unreliable behavior in the software.
• Exploitation Methods:
- Attackers might exploit this vulnerability by manipulating the pointer to cause unexpected behavior, potentially leading to data corruption or crashes.
- Common attack patterns include buffer overflows, use-after-free, and other memory manipulation techniques that exploit improper pointer management.
• Security Impact:
- Direct consequences include application crashes, data corruption, and undefined behavior, which could be leveraged for further attacks.
- Potential cascading effects include broader system instability or creating entry points for executing arbitrary code.
- Business impact could involve service downtime, data loss, and increased maintenance costs due to unreliable software.
• Prevention Guidelines:
- Implement proper copy constructors and assignment operators to ensure pointers are managed correctly when objects are copied or assigned.
- Follow security best practices for memory management, such as using smart pointers (e.g., unique_ptr or shared_ptr in C++) to automatically manage memory and avoid manual pointer handling.
- Recommended tools and frameworks include static analysis tools to detect improper pointer handling and memory management issues, as well as adopting modern C++ standards that emphasize safer memory management techniques.
Technical Details
Likelihood of Exploit: Not specified
Affected Languages: Not specified
Affected Technologies: Not specified