{"@ID": "608", "@Name": "Struts: Non-private Field in ActionForm Class", "@Abstraction": "Variant", "@Structure": "Simple", "@Status": "Draft", "Description": "The product uses an ActionForm class that\n         contains a field that has not been declared\n         private.", "Related_Weaknesses": {"Related_Weakness": {"@Nature": "ChildOf", "@CWE_ID": "732", "@View_ID": "1000", "@Ordinal": "Primary"}}, "Weakness_Ordinalities": {"Weakness_Ordinality": {"Ordinality": "Primary"}}, "Applicable_Platforms": {"Language": {"@Name": "Java", "@Prevalence": "Undetermined"}}, "Modes_Of_Introduction": {"Introduction": {"Phase": "Implementation"}}, "Common_Consequences": {"Consequence": {"Scope": ["Integrity", "Confidentiality"], "Impact": ["Modify Application Data", "Read Application Data"], "Note": "A field that is not declared private can be\n\t       accessed without using a setter or getter."}}, "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.)"}}, "Potential_Mitigations": {"Mitigation": {"Phase": "Implementation", "Description": "Make all fields private. Use getter to get the value of the field. Setter should be used only by the framework; setting an action form field from other actions is bad practice and should be avoided."}}, "Demonstrative_Examples": {"Demonstrative_Example": {"Intro_Text": "In the following Java example the class RegistrationForm is a Struts framework ActionForm Bean that will maintain user input data from a registration webpage for a online business site. The user will enter registration data and through the Struts framework the RegistrationForm bean will maintain the user data.", "Example_Code": [{"@Nature": "Bad", "@Language": "Java", "xhtml:div": {"xhtml:br": null, "xhtml:div": {"@style": "margin-left:1em;", "xhtml:div": {"xhtml:br": [null, null, null, null, null, null, null], "xhtml:div": {"@style": "margin-left:1em;", "#text": "super();"}, "#text": "// variables for registration formpublic String name;public String email;...\n                           public RegistrationForm() {}public ActionErrors validate(ActionMapping mapping, HttpServletRequest request) {...}..."}}, "#text": "public class RegistrationForm extends org.apache.struts.validator.ValidatorForm {\n                     }"}, "#text_blocks": ["public class RegistrationForm extends org.apache.struts.validator.ValidatorForm {", "// variables for registration form", "public String name;", "public String email;", "...", "public RegistrationForm() {", "super();", "}", "public ActionErrors validate(ActionMapping mapping, HttpServletRequest request) {...}", "...", "}"]}, {"@Nature": "Good", "@Language": "Java", "xhtml:div": {"xhtml:br": [null, null, null], "xhtml:div": [{"@style": "margin-left:1em;", "xhtml:div": {"xhtml:br": [null, null, null, null, null, null, null], "xhtml:div": {"@style": "margin-left:1em;", "#text": "super();"}, "#text": "// private variables for registration formprivate String name;private String email;...\n                           public RegistrationForm() {}\n                           public ActionErrors validate(ActionMapping mapping, HttpServletRequest request) {...}"}}, {"@style": "margin-left:1em;", "xhtml:br": null, "#text": "// getter and setter methods for private variables..."}], "#text": "public class RegistrationForm extends org.apache.struts.validator.ValidatorForm {\n                     \n                     \n                     \n                     }"}, "#text_blocks": ["public class RegistrationForm extends org.apache.struts.validator.ValidatorForm {", "// private variables for registration form", "private String name;", "private String email;", "...", "public RegistrationForm() {", "super();", "}", "public ActionErrors validate(ActionMapping mapping, HttpServletRequest request) {...}", "// getter and setter methods for private variables", "...", "}"]}], "Body_Text": "However, within the RegistrationForm the member variables for the registration form input data are declared public not private. All member variables within a Struts framework ActionForm class must be declared private to prevent the member variables from being modified without using the getter and setter methods. The following example shows the member variables being declared private and getter and setter methods declared for accessing the member variables."}}, "Taxonomy_Mappings": {"Taxonomy_Mapping": {"@Taxonomy_Name": "Software Fault Patterns", "Entry_ID": "SFP28", "Entry_Name": "Unexpected access points"}}, "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": "Anonymous Tool Vendor (under NDA)", "Submission_Date": "2007-05-07", "Submission_Version": "Draft 6", "Submission_ReleaseDate": "2007-05-07"}, "Modification": [{"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_Name": "CWE Content Team", "Modification_Organization": "MITRE", "Modification_Date": "2008-09-08", "Modification_Version": "1.0", "Modification_ReleaseDate": "2008-09-09", "Modification_Comment": "updated Relationships, Taxonomy_Mappings, Weakness_Ordinalities"}, {"Modification_Name": "CWE Content Team", "Modification_Organization": "MITRE", "Modification_Date": "2010-06-21", "Modification_Version": "1.9", "Modification_ReleaseDate": "2010-06-21", "Modification_Comment": "updated Demonstrative_Examples"}, {"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 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 Causal_Nature, Relationships, Taxonomy_Mappings"}, {"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 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 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 Detection_Factors"}, {"Modification_Name": "CWE Content Team", "Modification_Organization": "MITRE", "Modification_Date": "2026-10-28", "Modification_Version": "5.0", "Modification_ReleaseDate": "2026-10-28", "Modification_Comment": "updated Common_Consequences, Description, Relationships"}]}, "entry_type": "Weakness"}