CWE-407: Inefficient Algorithmic Complexity

ClassIncompleteExploit Likelihood: Low

An algorithm in a product has an inefficient worst-case computational complexity that may be detrimental to system performance and can be triggered by an attacker, typically using crafted manipulations that ensure that the worst case is being reached.

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Technical Details

Structure
Simple

Applicable To

Languages
Not Language-Specific
Platforms

Source-backed guidance

Additional facts reviewed against primary or authoritative security sources.

Verify controls for CWE-407 with SSDF evidence

Use NIST SSDF verification and vulnerability-response practices to detect CWE-407, Inefficient Algorithmic Complexity, throughout the product lifecycle. Derive review questions, static or dynamic checks, and negative tests from the CWE's causal behavior; define the components and lifecycle stages each check covers; and retain findings with enough evidence to distinguish the root cause from symptoms and impacts. Track escapes and false negatives, then improve the verification plan after every confirmed occurrence.

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

Make elimination of CWE-407 a product outcome

Apply CISA's Secure by Design principle of taking ownership of customer security outcomes to CWE-407, Inefficient Algorithmic Complexity. Put the weakness in the product threat model and security roadmap, fund class-level design and platform changes, prefer safe defaults and reusable guardrails, and publish measurable progress. Do not transfer the primary burden to customer configuration when the manufacturer can remove or contain the root cause in the product.

Shifting the Balance of Cybersecurity Risk: Secure by Design Software — Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency

Connect Inefficient Algorithmic Complexity to documented attack evidence

Recorded impacts include DoS: Resource Consumption (CPU), DoS: Resource Consumption (Memory), and DoS: Resource Consumption (Other); observed examples include CVE-2021-32617, CVE-2020-10735, and CVE-2020-5243; related weaknesses include CWE-405. Use these source-defined anchors to turn CWE-407 into implementation, review, and verification checks for the affected component.

CWE-407: Inefficient Algorithmic Complexity — MITRE CWE

Apply precise root-cause mapping to CWE-407

Apply MITRE's full root-cause mapping guidance when using CWE-407, Inefficient Algorithmic Complexity. 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 CWE

Validate CWE-407 with root-cause mapping checks

Apply MITRE's root-cause mapping quick tips to CWE-407, Inefficient Algorithmic Complexity. 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-407: Inefficient Algorithmic Complexity?+

CWE-407: Inefficient Algorithmic Complexity is a Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) entry maintained by MITRE. An algorithm in a product has an inefficient worst-case computational complexity that may be detrimental to system performance and can be triggered by an attacker, typically using crafted manipulations that ensure that the worst case is being reached.

What are the security consequences of Inefficient Algorithmic Complexity?+

If exploited, CWE-407 (Inefficient Algorithmic Complexity) it can compromise Availability, leading to outcomes such as DoS: Resource Consumption (CPU), DoS: Resource Consumption (Memory) and DoS: Resource Consumption (Other).

Which programming languages are affected by Inefficient Algorithmic Complexity?+

CWE-407 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 Inefficient Algorithmic Complexity?+

MITRE documents real CVEs mapped to CWE-407, including CVE-2021-32617, CVE-2020-10735, CVE-2020-5243, CVE-2014-1474 and CVE-2003-0244. 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-407 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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