CWE-228: Improper Handling of Syntactically Invalid Structure

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The product does not handle or incorrectly handles input that is not syntactically well-formed with respect to the associated specification.

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Technical Details

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is CWE-228: Improper Handling of Syntactically Invalid Structure?+

CWE-228: Improper Handling of Syntactically Invalid Structure is a Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) entry maintained by MITRE. The product does not handle or incorrectly handles input that is not syntactically well-formed with respect to the associated specification.

What are the security consequences of Improper Handling of Syntactically Invalid Structure?+

If exploited, CWE-228 (Improper Handling of Syntactically Invalid Structure) it can compromise Integrity and Availability, leading to outcomes such as Unexpected State, DoS: Crash, Exit, or Restart and DoS: Resource Consumption (CPU).

What are real-world examples of Improper Handling of Syntactically Invalid Structure?+

MITRE documents real CVEs mapped to CWE-228, including CVE-2004-0270. 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-228 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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