CWE-182: Collapse of Data into Unsafe Value

BaseDraft

The product filters data in a way that causes it to be reduced or "collapsed" into an unsafe value that violates an expected security property.

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Technical Details

Structure
Simple

Applicable To

Languages
Not Language-Specific
Platforms

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CWE-182: Collapse of Data into Unsafe Value?+

CWE-182: Collapse of Data into Unsafe Value is a Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) entry maintained by MITRE. The product filters data in a way that causes it to be reduced or "collapsed" into an unsafe value that violates an expected security property.

What are the security consequences of Collapse of Data into Unsafe Value?+

If exploited, CWE-182 (Collapse of Data into Unsafe Value) it can compromise Access Control, leading to outcomes such as Bypass Protection Mechanism.

How do you prevent or mitigate Collapse of Data into Unsafe Value?+

Recommended mitigations for CWE-182 include: Canonicalize the name to match that of the file system's representation of the name. This can sometimes be achieved with an available API (e.g. in Win32 the GetFullPathName function).

Which programming languages are affected by Collapse of Data into Unsafe Value?+

CWE-182 commonly affects Not Language-Specific. Note that weaknesses are often language-agnostic patterns, so secure coding practices apply broadly.

What are real-world examples of Collapse of Data into Unsafe Value?+

MITRE documents real CVEs mapped to CWE-182, including CVE-2004-0815, CVE-2005-3123, CVE-2002-0325, CVE-2002-0784 and CVE-2005-2169. You can look up the full details of each CVE, including CVSS scores and remediation guidance, on our CVE Lookup tool.

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

A CWE (Common Weakness Enumeration) like CWE-182 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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