{"@ID": "495", "@Name": "Private Data Structure Returned From A Public Method", "@Abstraction": "Variant", "@Structure": "Simple", "@Status": "Draft", "Description": "The product has a method that is declared public, but returns a reference to a private data structure, which could then be modified in unexpected ways.", "Related_Weaknesses": {"Related_Weakness": {"@Nature": "ChildOf", "@CWE_ID": "664", "@View_ID": "1000", "@Ordinal": "Primary"}}, "Weakness_Ordinalities": {"Weakness_Ordinality": {"Ordinality": "Primary"}}, "Applicable_Platforms": {"Language": [{"@Class": "Object-Oriented", "@Prevalence": "Undetermined"}, {"@Name": "C", "@Prevalence": "Undetermined"}, {"@Name": "C++", "@Prevalence": "Undetermined"}, {"@Name": "Java", "@Prevalence": "Undetermined"}, {"@Name": "C#", "@Prevalence": "Undetermined"}]}, "Modes_Of_Introduction": {"Introduction": {"Phase": "Implementation"}}, "Common_Consequences": {"Consequence": {"Scope": "Integrity", "Impact": "Modify Application Data", "Note": "The contents of the data structure can be modified from outside the intended scope."}}, "Detection_Methods": {"Detection_Method": {"@Detection_Method_ID": "DM-14", "Method": "Automated Static Analysis", "Description": "Automated static analysis, commonly referred to as Static Application Security Testing (SAST), can find some instances of this weakness by analyzing source code (or binary/compiled code) without having to execute it. Typically, this is done by building a model of data flow and control flow, then searching for potentially-vulnerable patterns that connect \"sources\" (origins of input) with \"sinks\" (destinations where the data interacts with external components, a lower layer such as the OS, etc.)", "Effectiveness": "High"}}, "Potential_Mitigations": {"Mitigation": [{"Phase": "Implementation", "Description": "Declare the method private."}, {"Phase": "Implementation", "Description": "Clone the member data and keep an unmodified version of the data private to the object."}, {"Phase": "Implementation", "Description": "Use public setter methods that govern how a private member can be modified."}]}, "Demonstrative_Examples": {"Demonstrative_Example": [{"Intro_Text": "Here, a public method in a Java class returns a reference to a private array. Given that arrays in Java are mutable, any modifications made to the returned reference would be reflected in the original private array.", "Example_Code": {"@Nature": "Bad", "@Language": "Java", "xhtml:div": {"xhtml:br": null, "xhtml:div": {"@style": "margin-left:1em;", "#text": "return colors;"}, "#text": "private String[] colors;public String[] getColors() {}"}}}, {"Intro_Text": "In this example, the Color class defines functions that return non-const references to private members (an array type and an integer type), which are then arbitrarily altered from outside the control of the class.", "Example_Code": {"@Nature": "Bad", "@Language": "C++", "xhtml:div": {"xhtml:br": [null, null, null, null], "xhtml:div": [{"@style": "margin-left:1em;", "xhtml:div": [{"@style": "margin-left:1em;", "xhtml:br": null, "#text": "int[2] colorArray;int colorValue;"}, {"@style": "margin-left:1em;", "xhtml:br": [null, null], "xhtml:i": ["// return reference to private array", "// return reference to private integer"], "#text": "Color () : colorArray { 1, 2 }, colorValue (3) { };int[2] & fa () { return colorArray; } int & fv () { return colorValue; }"}], "#text": "private:public:"}, {"@style": "margin-left:1em;", "xhtml:br": [null, null, null, null, null], "xhtml:i": ["// modifies private array element", "// modifies private int"], "#text": "Color c;c.fa () [1] = 42; c.fv () = 42; return 0;"}], "#text": "class Color{};int main (){}"}}}]}, "Taxonomy_Mappings": {"Taxonomy_Mapping": [{"@Taxonomy_Name": "7 Pernicious Kingdoms", "Entry_Name": "Private Array-Typed Field Returned From A Public Method"}, {"@Taxonomy_Name": "Software Fault Patterns", "Entry_ID": "SFP23", "Entry_Name": "Exposed Data"}]}, "References": {"Reference": {"@External_Reference_ID": "REF-6"}}, "Mapping_Notes": {"Usage": "Allowed", "Rationale": "This CWE entry is at the Variant level of abstraction, which is a preferred level of abstraction for mapping to the root causes of vulnerabilities.", "Comments": "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.", "Reasons": {"Reason": {"@Type": "Acceptable-Use"}}}, "Content_History": {"Submission": {"Submission_Name": "7 Pernicious Kingdoms", "Submission_Date": "2006-07-19", "Submission_Version": "Draft 3", "Submission_ReleaseDate": "2006-07-19"}, "Modification": [{"Modification_Name": "Sean Eidemiller", "Modification_Organization": "Cigital", "Modification_Date": "2008-07-01", "Modification_Version": "1.0", "Modification_ReleaseDate": "2008-09-09", "Modification_Comment": "added/updated demonstrative examples"}, {"Modification_Name": "Eric Dalci", "Modification_Organization": "Cigital", "Modification_Date": "2008-07-01", "Modification_Version": "1.0", "Modification_ReleaseDate": "2008-09-09", "Modification_Comment": "updated Time_of_Introduction"}, {"Modification_Organization": "KDM Analytics", "Modification_Date": "2008-08-01", "Modification_Version": "1.0", "Modification_ReleaseDate": "2008-09-09", "Modification_Comment": "added/updated white box definitions"}, {"Modification_Name": "CWE Content Team", "Modification_Organization": "MITRE", "Modification_Date": "2008-09-08", "Modification_Version": "1.0", "Modification_ReleaseDate": "2008-09-09", "Modification_Comment": "updated Applicable_Platforms, Relationships, Taxonomy_Mappings"}, {"Modification_Name": "CWE Content Team", "Modification_Organization": "MITRE", "Modification_Date": "2011-06-01", "Modification_Version": "1.13", "Modification_ReleaseDate": "2011-06-01", "Modification_Comment": "updated Common_Consequences"}, {"Modification_Name": "CWE Content Team", "Modification_Organization": "MITRE", "Modification_Date": "2012-05-11", "Modification_Version": "2.2", "Modification_ReleaseDate": "2012-05-15", "Modification_Comment": "updated Common_Consequences, Relationships"}, {"Modification_Name": "CWE Content Team", "Modification_Organization": "MITRE", "Modification_Date": "2012-10-30", "Modification_Version": "2.3", "Modification_ReleaseDate": "2012-10-30", "Modification_Comment": "updated Potential_Mitigations"}, {"Modification_Name": "CWE Content Team", "Modification_Organization": "MITRE", "Modification_Date": "2014-07-30", "Modification_Version": "2.8", "Modification_ReleaseDate": "2014-07-31", "Modification_Comment": "updated Relationships, Taxonomy_Mappings"}, {"Modification_Name": "CWE Content Team", "Modification_Organization": "MITRE", "Modification_Date": "2017-11-08", "Modification_Version": "3.0", "Modification_ReleaseDate": "2017-11-08", "Modification_Comment": "updated Relationships, White_Box_Definitions"}, {"Modification_Name": "CWE Content Team", "Modification_Organization": "MITRE", "Modification_Date": "2019-01-03", "Modification_Version": "3.2", "Modification_ReleaseDate": "2019-01-03", "Modification_Comment": "updated Common_Consequences, Demonstrative_Examples, Description, Name, Potential_Mitigations"}, {"Modification_Name": "CWE Content Team", "Modification_Organization": "MITRE", "Modification_Date": "2020-02-24", "Modification_Version": "4.0", "Modification_ReleaseDate": "2020-02-24", "Modification_Comment": "updated References, Relationships"}, {"Modification_Name": "CWE Content Team", "Modification_Organization": "MITRE", "Modification_Date": "2023-04-27", "Modification_Version": "4.11", "Modification_ReleaseDate": "2023-04-27", "Modification_Comment": "updated Detection_Factors, Relationships"}, {"Modification_Name": "CWE Content Team", "Modification_Organization": "MITRE", "Modification_Date": "2023-06-29", "Modification_Version": "4.12", "Modification_ReleaseDate": "2023-06-29", "Modification_Comment": "updated Mapping_Notes"}, {"Modification_Name": "CWE Content Team", "Modification_Organization": "MITRE", "Modification_Date": "2025-12-11", "Modification_Version": "4.19", "Modification_ReleaseDate": "2025-12-11", "Modification_Comment": "updated Applicable_Platforms, Weakness_Ordinalities"}], "Previous_Entry_Name": {"@Date": "2019-01-03", "#text": "Private Array-Typed Field Returned From A Public Method"}}}