CWE-909: Missing Initialization of Resource
Description
The product does not initialize a critical resource.
Many resources require initialization before they can be properly used. If a resource is not initialized, it could contain unpredictable or expired data, or it could be initialized to defaults that are invalid. This can have security implications when the resource is expected to have certain properties or values.
- Abstraction
- ClassAn abstract weakness, independent of any specific language or technology.
- Likelihood of exploit
- Medium
- Status
- Incomplete
Common consequences
- Confidentiality
Read Memory; Read Application Data
When reusing a resource such as memory or a program variable, the original contents of that resource may not be cleared before it is sent to an untrusted party.
- Availability
DoS: Crash, Exit, or Restart
The uninitialized resource may contain values that cause program flow to change in ways that the programmer did not intend.
Potential mitigations
- Implementation
Explicitly initialize the resource before use. If this is performed through an API function or standard procedure, follow all specified steps.
- Implementation
Pay close attention to complex conditionals that affect initialization, since some branches might not perform the initialization.
- Implementation
Avoid race conditions (CWE-362) during initialization routines.
- Build and Compilation
Run or compile your product with settings that generate warnings about uninitialized variables or data.
Related weaknesses
CAPEC attack patterns that exploit it
CWE 4.20 links no CAPEC attack pattern to this weakness.