CWE-45: Path Equivalence: 'file...name' (Multiple Internal Dot)

Source-backed guidance

Additional facts reviewed against primary or authoritative security sources.

Detect imprecise mappings involving CWE-45

Review mappings to CWE-45, Path Equivalence: 'file...name' (Multiple Internal Dot), 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-45 through an SSDF control plan

Use NIST SSDF practices to make prevention of CWE-45, Path Equivalence: 'file...name' (Multiple Internal Dot), 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

Triage CWE-45 against known exploitation evidence

Use CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog to test whether a vulnerability mapped to CWE-45, Path Equivalence: 'file...name' (Multiple Internal Dot), 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 Agency

Use MITRE taxonomy anchors to review Path Equivalence: 'file...name' (Multiple Internal Dot)

Recorded impacts include Read Files or Directories, and Modify Files or Directories; related weaknesses include CWE-44, and CWE-165. Use these source-defined anchors to turn CWE-45 into implementation, review, and verification checks for the affected component.

CWE-45: Path Equivalence: 'file...name' (Multiple Internal Dot) — MITRE CWE

Validate CWE-45 with root-cause mapping checks

Apply MITRE's root-cause mapping quick tips to CWE-45, Path Equivalence: 'file...name' (Multiple Internal Dot). 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-45: Path Equivalence: 'file...name' (Multiple Internal Dot)?+

CWE-45: Path Equivalence: 'file...name' (Multiple Internal Dot) is a Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) entry maintained by MITRE. The product accepts path input in the form of multiple internal dot ('file...dir') without appropriate validation, which can lead to ambiguous path resolution and allow an attacker to traverse the file system to unintended locations or access arbitrary files.

What are the security consequences of Path Equivalence: 'file...name' (Multiple Internal Dot)?+

If exploited, CWE-45 (Path Equivalence: 'file...name' (Multiple Internal Dot)) it can compromise Confidentiality and Integrity, leading to outcomes such as Read Files or Directories and Modify Files or Directories.

Which programming languages are affected by Path Equivalence: 'file...name' (Multiple Internal Dot)?+

CWE-45 commonly affects Not Language-Specific. Note that weaknesses are often language-agnostic patterns, so secure coding practices apply broadly.

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

A CWE (Common Weakness Enumeration) like CWE-45 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.

CWE-45: Path Equivalence: 'file...name' (Multiple Internal Dot)

Technical Details

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