CWE-216: DEPRECATED: Containment Errors (Container Errors)

ClassDeprecated

This entry has been deprecated, as it was not effective as a weakness and was structured more like a category. In addition, the name is inappropriate, since the "container" term is widely understood by developers in different ways than originally intended by PLOVER, the original source for this entry.

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Source-backed guidance

Additional facts reviewed against primary or authoritative security sources.

Detect imprecise mappings involving CWE-216

Review mappings to CWE-216, DEPRECATED: Containment Errors (Container Errors), with MITRE's mapping and navigation criteria. Flag any selection that points to a View or Category, remains at a higher abstraction than the available evidence supports, or ignores relevant parent, child, peer, and alternative entries. Treat those findings as mapping-quality defects, correct them before publication, and retain the comparison trail for repeatable audits.

CWE Mapping and Navigation Guidance — MITRE CWE

Prevent CWE-216 through an SSDF control plan

Use NIST SSDF practices to make prevention of CWE-216, DEPRECATED: Containment Errors (Container Errors), an explicit development outcome. Translate the CWE definition into security requirements and design constraints, choose safer implementation patterns and toolchain checks, and define acceptance evidence before release. Feed every confirmed occurrence back into the requirements, design review, and coding rules so the same root cause is removed across the product rather than patched in one location.

NIST SP 800-218 Secure Software Development Framework — National Institute of Standards and Technology

Preserve historical context for deprecated CWE-216

Treat CWE-216, DEPRECATED: Containment Errors (Container Errors), as a historical identifier only. When reviewing CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, preserve this deprecated ID only if an original historical record used it; do not create a new mapping to it. Re-evaluate the vulnerability evidence against active CWE entries, document the replacement and rationale, and use KEV status to prioritize the affected product—not to revive or generalize the deprecated weakness.

Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog — Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency

Preserve CWE-216 only for deprecated historical mappings

MITRE marks CWE-216 as deprecated and prohibits using it for new vulnerability mappings. This entry has been deprecated, as it was not effective as a weakness and was structured more like a category. In addition, the name is inappropriate, since the "container" term is widely understood by developers in different ways than originally intended by PLOVER, the original source for this entry. Keep this page for historical lookup, but follow MITRE's replacement guidance and select a current weakness identifier for new findings, metrics, and remediation work.

CWE-216: DEPRECATED: Containment Errors (Container Errors) — MITRE CWE

Validate CWE-216 with root-cause mapping checks

Apply MITRE's root-cause mapping quick tips to CWE-216, DEPRECATED: Containment Errors (Container Errors). Confirm the finding describes the causal weakness rather than an impact or attack pattern, compare the abstraction and mapping notes with plausible alternatives, and have a second reviewer challenge the selection. Preserve the evidence and reasoning so recurring defects can be measured against one consistent identifier.

CVE to CWE Root Cause Mapping Quick Tips — MITRE CWE

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CWE-216: DEPRECATED: Containment Errors (Container Errors)?+

CWE-216: DEPRECATED: Containment Errors (Container Errors) is a Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) entry maintained by MITRE. This entry has been deprecated, as it was not effective as a weakness and was structured more like a category. In addition, the name is inappropriate, since the "container" term is widely understood by developers in different ways than originally intended by PLOVER, the original source for this entry.

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

A CWE (Common Weakness Enumeration) like CWE-216 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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