CWE-771: Missing Reference to Active Allocated Resource

What is Missing Reference to Active Allocated Resource?

• Overview: This vulnerability occurs when a program allocates a resource, such as memory or a file, but fails to maintain a reference to it. As a result, the resource cannot be properly reclaimed or released, potentially leading to resource exhaustion.

• Exploitation Methods:

• Attackers may exploit this by causing a program to allocate excessive resources, leading to resource exhaustion.
• Common attack patterns include repeatedly invoking functions that allocate resources without releasing them.

• Security Impact:

• Direct consequences include resource leaks, which can lead to degraded performance or application crashes.
• Potential cascading effects might involve system-wide resource exhaustion, affecting other applications or services.
• Business impact includes increased operational costs, downtime, and potential data loss or corruption.

• Prevention Guidelines:

• Specific code-level fixes involve ensuring that all allocated resources are tracked and properly released when no longer needed.
• Security best practices include regular code reviews and testing for resource handling issues.
• Recommended tools and frameworks are static analysis tools that can detect resource leaks and automatic memory management frameworks that help manage resources efficiently.

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Technical Details

Likelihood of Exploit: Medium

Affected Languages: Not specified

Affected Technologies: Not specified