CWE-617: Reachable Assertion
Learn about CWE-617 (Reachable Assertion), its security impact, exploitation methods, and prevention guidelines.
What is Reachable Assertion?
• Overview: Reachable Assertion (CWE-617) occurs when an assert() or similar statement in the code can be triggered by an attacker, causing the application to exit or behave unexpectedly, potentially leading to a denial of service.
• Exploitation Methods:
- Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by providing inputs or actions that trigger the assert() condition.
- Common attack patterns include sending malformed data or manipulating input values to hit assert() conditions that were not intended to be reachable by normal operations.
• Security Impact:
- Direct consequences include application crashes or unexpected exits, leading to denial of service.
- Potential cascading effects might involve data loss or corruption if the application does not handle the crash gracefully.
- Business impact includes reduced availability of services, potential loss of customer trust, and possible financial repercussions due to downtime.
• Prevention Guidelines:
- Specific code-level fixes include removing assert() statements in production code or replacing them with error-handling code that manages unexpected conditions gracefully.
- Security best practices involve validating inputs thoroughly and using exceptions for error handling instead of assertions.
- Recommended tools and frameworks include static analysis tools that can identify reachable assertions and help ensure assertions are only used during development and testing phases.
Technical Details
Likelihood of Exploit: Not specified
Affected Languages: Not specified
Affected Technologies: Not specified