CWE-134
Use of Externally-Controlled Format String
AI Translation Available
The product uses a function that accepts a format string as an argument, but the format string originates from an external source.
Status
draft
Abstraction
base
Likelihood
high
Affected Platforms
C
C++
Not Language-Specific
Perl
Technical Details
AI Translation
Common Consequences
confidentiality
integrity
availability
Impacts
read memory
modify memory
execute unauthorized code or commands
Detection Methods
automated static analysis
black box
automated static analysis - binary or bytecode
manual static analysis - binary or bytecode
dynamic analysis with automated results interpretation
dynamic analysis with manual results interpretation
manual static analysis - source code
automated static analysis - source code
architecture or design review
Potential Mitigations
Phases:
requirements
implementation
build and compilation
Descriptions:
•
Choose a language that is not subject to this flaw.
•
Run compilers and linkers with high warning levels, since they may detect incorrect usage.
•
Ensure that all format string functions are passed a static string which cannot be controlled by the user, and that the proper number of arguments are always sent to that function as well. If at all possible, use functions that do not support the %n operator in format strings. [REF-116] [REF-117]
Functional Areas
logging
error handling
string processing
memory management