CWE-589: Call to Non-ubiquitous API

VariantIncomplete

The product uses an API function that does not exist on all versions of the target platform. This could cause portability problems or inconsistencies that allow denial of service or other consequences.

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Extended Description

Some functions that offer security features supported by the OS are not available on all versions of the OS in common use. Likewise, functions are often deprecated or made obsolete for security reasons and should not be used.

Technical Details

Structure
Simple
Vulnerability Mapping
ALLOWED

Applicable To

Languages
Not Language-Specific
Platforms

Source-backed guidance

Additional facts reviewed against primary or authoritative security sources.

Verify controls for CWE-589 with SSDF evidence

Use NIST SSDF verification and vulnerability-response practices to detect CWE-589, Call to Non-ubiquitous API, 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

Address Call to Non-ubiquitous API during Implementation

MITRE associates mitigation with Implementation, and Testing; documented detection approaches include Automated Static Analysis; recorded impacts include Quality Degradation. Use these source-defined anchors to turn CWE-589 into implementation, review, and verification checks for the affected component.

CWE-589: Call to Non-ubiquitous API — MITRE CWE

Triage CWE-589 against known exploitation evidence

Use CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog to test whether a vulnerability mapped to CWE-589, Call to Non-ubiquitous API, 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

Apply precise root-cause mapping to CWE-589

Apply MITRE's full root-cause mapping guidance when using CWE-589, Call to Non-ubiquitous API. 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-589 with root-cause mapping checks

Apply MITRE's root-cause mapping quick tips to CWE-589, Call to Non-ubiquitous API. 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-589: Call to Non-ubiquitous API?+

CWE-589: Call to Non-ubiquitous API is a Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) entry maintained by MITRE. The product uses an API function that does not exist on all versions of the target platform. This could cause portability problems or inconsistencies that allow denial of service or other consequences. Some functions that offer security features supported by the OS are not available on all versions of the OS in common use. Likewise, functions are often deprecated or made obsolete for security reasons and should not be used.

What are the security consequences of Call to Non-ubiquitous API?+

If exploited, CWE-589 (Call to Non-ubiquitous API) it can compromise Other, leading to outcomes such as Quality Degradation.

How do you prevent or mitigate Call to Non-ubiquitous API?+

Recommended mitigations for CWE-589 include: Always test your code on any platform on which it is targeted to run on. Test your code on the newest and oldest platform on which it is targeted to run on. Develop a system to test for API functions that are not portable.

Which programming languages are affected by Call to Non-ubiquitous API?+

CWE-589 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-589 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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