CWE-826: Premature Release of Resource During Expected Lifetime

BaseIncomplete

The product releases a resource that is still intended to be used by itself or another actor.

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Extended Description

This weakness focuses on errors in which the product should not release a resource, but performs the release anyway. This is different than a weakness in which the product releases a resource at the appropriate time, but it maintains a reference to the resource, which it later accesses. For this weakness, the resource should still be valid upon the subsequent access. When a product releases a resource that is still being used, it is possible that operations will still be taken on this resource, which may have been repurposed in the meantime, leading to issues similar to CWE-825. Consequences may include denial of service, information exposure, or code execution.

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.

Detect Premature Release of Resource During Expected Lifetime with Automated Static Analysis

Documented detection approaches include Automated Static Analysis; recorded impacts include Read Application Data, Read Memory, DoS: Crash, Exit, or Restart, Execute Unauthorized Code or Commands, and Modify Application Data; observed examples include CVE-2009-3547. Use these source-defined anchors to turn CWE-826 into implementation, review, and verification checks for the affected component.

CWE-826: Premature Release of Resource During Expected Lifetime — MITRE CWE

Prevent CWE-826 through an SSDF control plan

Use NIST SSDF practices to make prevention of CWE-826, Premature Release of Resource During Expected Lifetime, 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-826 against known exploitation evidence

Use CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog to test whether a vulnerability mapped to CWE-826, Premature Release of Resource During Expected Lifetime, 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-826

Apply MITRE's full root-cause mapping guidance when using CWE-826, Premature Release of Resource During Expected Lifetime. 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-826 with root-cause mapping checks

Apply MITRE's root-cause mapping quick tips to CWE-826, Premature Release of Resource During Expected Lifetime. 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-826: Premature Release of Resource During Expected Lifetime?+

CWE-826: Premature Release of Resource During Expected Lifetime is a Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) entry maintained by MITRE. The product releases a resource that is still intended to be used by itself or another actor. This weakness focuses on errors in which the product should not release a resource, but performs the release anyway. This is different than a weakness in which the product releases a resource at the appropriate time, but it maintains a reference to the resource, which it later accesses. For this weakness, the resource should still be valid upon the subsequent access. When a product releases a resource that is still being used, it is possible that operations will still be taken on this resource, which may have been repurposed in the meantime, leading to issues similar to CWE-825. Consequences may include denial of service, information exposure, or code execution.

What are the security consequences of Premature Release of Resource During Expected Lifetime?+

If exploited, CWE-826 (Premature Release of Resource During Expected Lifetime) it can compromise Confidentiality, Availability and Integrity, leading to outcomes such as Read Application Data, Read Memory, DoS: Crash, Exit, or Restart, Execute Unauthorized Code or Commands, Modify Application Data and Modify Memory.

Which programming languages are affected by Premature Release of Resource During Expected Lifetime?+

CWE-826 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 Premature Release of Resource During Expected Lifetime?+

MITRE documents real CVEs mapped to CWE-826, including CVE-2009-3547. 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-826 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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