CWE-1109: Use of Same Variable for Multiple Purposes
Learn about CWE-1109 (Use of Same Variable for Multiple Purposes), its security impact, exploitation methods, and prevention guidelines.
What is Use of Same Variable for Multiple Purposes?
• Overview: CWE-1109, Use of Same Variable for Multiple Purposes, occurs when a single variable is used to control multiple tasks or store different types of data, leading to confusion, maintenance difficulties, and potential security vulnerabilities.
• Exploitation Methods:
- Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by manipulating the variable to influence multiple parts of the application, potentially causing unintended behavior.
- Common attack patterns include data manipulation, where the variable's state is altered to affect its multiple purposes, leading to security weaknesses.
• Security Impact:
- Direct consequences include logic errors and unexpected application behavior, which can result in data corruption or unauthorized access.
- Potential cascading effects involve increased complexity in debugging and maintaining code, which can obscure other vulnerabilities.
- Business impact includes higher maintenance costs and increased risk of security breaches due to hidden bugs and vulnerabilities.
• Prevention Guidelines:
- Specific code-level fixes involve using separate variables for distinct tasks and data storage to ensure clarity and reduce complexity.
- Security best practices include conducting thorough code reviews to identify and refactor instances where variables are reused improperly.
- Recommended tools and frameworks include static code analysis tools that can detect variable misuse and enforce coding standards that discourage variable repurposing.
Technical Details
Likelihood of Exploit: Not specified
Affected Languages: Not specified
Affected Technologies: Not specified