CWE-374 Detail

The product sends non-cloned mutable data as an argument to a method or function.

The function or method that has been called can alter or delete the mutable data. This could violate assumptions that the calling function has made about its state. In situations where unknown code is called with references to mutable data, this external code could make changes to the data sent. If this data was not previously cloned, the modified data might not be valid in the context of execution.

Modes Of Introduction

Implementation

Applicable Platforms

Language

Name: C (Undetermined)
Name: C++ (Undetermined)
Name: Java (Undetermined)
Name: C# (Undetermined)

Common Consequences

Potential Mitigations

Phases : Implementation
Pass in data which should not be altered as constant or immutable.
Phases : Implementation
Clone all mutable data before passing it into an external function . This is the preferred mitigation. This way, regardless of what changes are made to the data, a valid copy is retained for use by the class.

Vulnerability Mapping Notes

Justification : This CWE entry is at the Base level of abstraction, which is a preferred level of abstraction for mapping to the root causes of vulnerabilities.
Comment : Carefully read both the name and description to ensure that this mapping is an appropriate fit. Do not try to 'force' a mapping to a lower-level Base/Variant simply to comply with this preferred level of abstraction.

References

REF-18

The CLASP Application Security Process
Secure Software, Inc..
https://cwe.mitre.org/documents/sources/TheCLASPApplicationSecurityProcess.pdf

REF-374

Does Java pass by reference or pass by value?
Tony Sintes.
https://web.archive.org/web/20000619025001/https://www.javaworld.com/javaworld/javaqa/2000-05/03-qa-0526-pass.html

REF-375

Java: The Complete Reference, J2SE 5th Edition
Herbert Schildt.

Submission

Modifications