An exception is thrown from a function, but it is not caught.
View on MITREWhen an exception is not caught, it may cause the program to crash or expose sensitive information.
An uncaught exception could cause the system to be placed in a state that could lead to a crash, exposure of sensitive information or other unintended behaviors.
No mitigation information available for this CWE.
No detection method information available for this CWE.
The following example attempts to resolve a hostname.
A DNS lookup failure will cause the Servlet to throw an exception.
protected void doPost (HttpServletRequest req, HttpServletResponse res) throws IOException {String ip = req.getRemoteAddr();InetAddress addr = InetAddress.getByName(ip);...out.println("hello " + addr.getHostName());}SDK for OPC Unified Architecture (OPC UA) server has uncaught exception when a socket is blocked for writing but the server tries to send an error
View DetailsJava code in a smartphone OS can encounter a "boot loop" due to an uncaught exception
View DetailsAdditional facts reviewed against primary or authoritative security sources.
Documented detection approaches include Automated Static Analysis; recorded impacts include DoS: Crash, Exit, or Restart, and Read Application Data; observed examples include CVE-2023-41151, and CVE-2023-21087. Use these source-defined anchors to turn CWE-248 into implementation, review, and verification checks for the affected component.
CWE-248: Uncaught Exception — MITRE CWEUse NIST SSDF practices to make prevention of CWE-248, Uncaught Exception, 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 TechnologyUse CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog to test whether a vulnerability mapped to CWE-248, Uncaught Exception, has evidence of exploitation in the wild. Confirm the CVE-to-CWE root-cause mapping independently before attaching the example, then capture the affected product, required action, and remediation deadline. A missing KEV match is not evidence that the weakness is unexploited, and a KEV entry must not be generalized to every occurrence of this CWE.
Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog — Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security AgencyApply MITRE's full root-cause mapping guidance when using CWE-248, Uncaught Exception. Separate weakness language from attacker prerequisites and technical impact, check the entry's abstraction and vulnerability-mapping notes, and prefer the most specific Base or Variant supported by the evidence. Record the rejected alternatives and require an independent review before the mapping is used for remediation trends or program metrics.
CVE to CWE Root Cause Mapping Guidance — MITRE CWEApply MITRE's root-cause mapping quick tips to CWE-248, Uncaught Exception. 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 CWECWE-248: Uncaught Exception is a Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) entry maintained by MITRE. An exception is thrown from a function, but it is not caught. When an exception is not caught, it may cause the program to crash or expose sensitive information.
If exploited, CWE-248 (Uncaught Exception) it can compromise Availability and Confidentiality, leading to outcomes such as DoS: Crash, Exit, or Restart and Read Application Data.
CWE-248 commonly affects C++, Java and C#. Note that weaknesses are often language-agnostic patterns, so secure coding practices apply broadly.
MITRE documents real CVEs mapped to CWE-248, including CVE-2023-41151 and CVE-2023-21087. You can look up the full details of each CVE, including CVSS scores and remediation guidance, on our CVE Lookup tool.
A CWE (Common Weakness Enumeration) like CWE-248 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.