CWE-617: Reachable Assertion

BaseDraft

The product contains an assert() or similar statement that can be triggered by an attacker, which leads to an application exit or other behavior that is more severe than necessary.

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Extended Description

While assertion is good for catching logic errors and reducing the chances of reaching more serious vulnerability conditions, it can still lead to a denial of service. For example, if a server handles multiple simultaneous connections, and an assert() occurs in one single connection that causes all other connections to be dropped, this is a reachable assertion that leads to a denial of service.

Technical Details

Structure
Simple
Vulnerability Mapping
ALLOWED

Applicable To

Languages
CJavaRustNot Language-Specific
Platforms

Source-backed guidance

Additional facts reviewed against primary or authoritative security sources.

Verify controls for CWE-617 with SSDF evidence

Use NIST SSDF verification and vulnerability-response practices to detect CWE-617, Reachable Assertion, 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

Apply Input Validation controls for Reachable Assertion

MITRE associates mitigation with Implementation; the listed strategies include Input Validation; documented detection approaches include Automated Static Analysis. Use these source-defined anchors to turn CWE-617 into implementation, review, and verification checks for the affected component.

CWE-617: Reachable Assertion — MITRE CWE

Triage CWE-617 against known exploitation evidence

Use CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog to test whether a vulnerability mapped to CWE-617, Reachable Assertion, 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-617

Apply MITRE's full root-cause mapping guidance when using CWE-617, Reachable Assertion. 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-617 with root-cause mapping checks

Apply MITRE's root-cause mapping quick tips to CWE-617, Reachable Assertion. 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-617: Reachable Assertion?+

CWE-617: Reachable Assertion is a Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) entry maintained by MITRE. The product contains an assert() or similar statement that can be triggered by an attacker, which leads to an application exit or other behavior that is more severe than necessary. While assertion is good for catching logic errors and reducing the chances of reaching more serious vulnerability conditions, it can still lead to a denial of service. For example, if a server handles multiple simultaneous connections, and an assert() occurs in one single connection that causes all other connections to be dropped, this is a reachable assertion that leads to a denial of service.

What are the security consequences of Reachable Assertion?+

If exploited, CWE-617 (Reachable Assertion) it can compromise Availability, leading to outcomes such as DoS: Crash, Exit, or Restart.

How do you prevent or mitigate Reachable Assertion?+

Recommended mitigations for CWE-617 include: Make sensitive open/close operation non reachable by directly user-controlled data (e.g. open/close resources) Perform input validation on user data.

Which programming languages are affected by Reachable Assertion?+

CWE-617 commonly affects C, Java, Rust and Not Language-Specific. Note that weaknesses are often language-agnostic patterns, so secure coding practices apply broadly.

What are real-world examples of Reachable Assertion?+

MITRE documents real CVEs mapped to CWE-617, including CVE-2024-8768, CVE-2023-49286, CVE-2006-6767, CVE-2006-6811 and CVE-2006-5779. 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-617 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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