This category has been deprecated. It was originally used for organizing weaknesses involving file names, which enabled access to files outside of a restricted directory (path traversal) or to perform operations on files that would otherwise be restricted (path equivalence). Consider using either the File Handling Issues category ( CWE-1219 ) or the class Use of Incorrectly-Resolved Name or Reference ( CWE-706 ).
View on MITRENo consequence information available for this CWE.
No mitigation information available for this CWE.
No detection method information available for this CWE.
No examples or observed CVEs available for this CWE.
Additional facts reviewed against primary or authoritative security sources.
MITRE defines CWE-21 as a category for organizing related weaknesses in the CWE catalog. Use the grouping as a scope and navigation aid, and rely on its linked weakness entries for implementation and verification guidance rather than treating the grouping as a directly testable defect.
CWE-21: CWE CATEGORY: DEPRECATED: Pathname Traversal and Equivalence Errors — MITRE CWECWE-21: CWE CATEGORY: DEPRECATED: Pathname Traversal and Equivalence Errors is a Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) entry maintained by MITRE. This category has been deprecated. It was originally used for organizing weaknesses involving file names, which enabled access to files outside of a restricted directory (path traversal) or to perform operations on files that would otherwise be restricted (path equivalence). Consider using either the File Handling Issues category ( CWE-1219 ) or the class Use of Incorrectly-Resolved Name or Reference ( CWE-706 ).
A CWE (Common Weakness Enumeration) like CWE-21 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.