What is CWE-791: Incomplete Filtering of Special Elements?

CWE-791: Incomplete Filtering of Special Elements is a Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) entry maintained by MITRE. The product receives data from an upstream component, but does not completely filter special elements before sending it to a downstream component.

What are the security consequences of Incomplete Filtering of Special Elements?

If exploited, CWE-791 (Incomplete Filtering of Special Elements) it can compromise Integrity, leading to outcomes such as Unexpected State.

Which programming languages are affected by Incomplete Filtering of Special Elements?

CWE-791 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-791 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-791: Incomplete Filtering of Special Elements

Detect imprecise mappings involving CWE-791

Review mappings to CWE-791, Incomplete Filtering of Special Elements, 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-791 through an SSDF control plan

Use NIST SSDF practices to make prevention of CWE-791, Incomplete Filtering of Special Elements, 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-791 against known exploitation evidence

Use CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog to test whether a vulnerability mapped to CWE-791, Incomplete Filtering of Special Elements, 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 Incomplete Filtering of Special Elements

Recorded impacts include Unexpected State; related weaknesses include CWE-790. Use these source-defined anchors to turn CWE-791 into implementation, review, and verification checks for the affected component.

CWE-791: Incomplete Filtering of Special Elements — MITRE CWE

Validate CWE-791 with root-cause mapping checks

Apply MITRE's root-cause mapping quick tips to CWE-791, Incomplete Filtering of Special Elements. 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

CWE-791: Incomplete Filtering of Special Elements

Technical Details

Applicable To

Security Consequences

Scope

Impact

Mitigation Strategies

Detection Methods

Code Examples & CVEs

Demonstrative Examples

CWE Relationships

Parent Weaknesses

Source-backed guidance

Detect imprecise mappings involving CWE-791

Prevent CWE-791 through an SSDF control plan

Triage CWE-791 against known exploitation evidence

Use MITRE taxonomy anchors to review Incomplete Filtering of Special Elements

Validate CWE-791 with root-cause mapping checks

Frequently Asked Questions

Learn More