CWE-1086: Class with Excessive Number of Child Classes

BaseIncomplete

A class contains an unnecessarily large number of children.

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Extended Description

This issue makes it more difficult to understand and maintain the software, which indirectly affects security by making it more difficult or time-consuming to find and/or fix vulnerabilities. It also might make it easier to introduce vulnerabilities. While the interpretation of "large number of children" may vary for each product or developer, CISQ recommends a default maximum of 10 child classes.

Technical Details

Structure
Simple

Applicable To

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is CWE-1086: Class with Excessive Number of Child Classes?+

CWE-1086: Class with Excessive Number of Child Classes is a Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) entry maintained by MITRE. A class contains an unnecessarily large number of children. This issue makes it more difficult to understand and maintain the software, which indirectly affects security by making it more difficult or time-consuming to find and/or fix vulnerabilities. It also might make it easier to introduce vulnerabilities. While the interpretation of "large number of children" may vary for each product or developer, CISQ recommends a default maximum of 10 child classes.

What are the security consequences of Class with Excessive Number of Child Classes?+

If exploited, CWE-1086 (Class with Excessive Number of Child Classes) it can compromise Other, leading to outcomes such as Reduce Maintainability.

What is the difference between a CWE and a CVE?+

A CWE (Common Weakness Enumeration) like CWE-1086 describes a category of software weakness — the underlying flaw type. A CVE (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures) identifies a specific, real-world vulnerability in a particular product. In short, a CWE is the kind of mistake, and a CVE is an instance of that mistake being found in software.

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