Common Weakness Enumeration

CWE-375

Weakness Allowed

Returning a Mutable Object to an Untrusted Caller

Abstraction: Base · Status: Draft

API response cwe.mitre.org

The code sends non-cloned mutable data as a return value may result in that data being altered or deleted by the calling function.

Mapping guidance

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.

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.

Relationships and members
ChildOf: CWE-668 · View CWE-1000
Modes of introduction
Implementation
Content history
Submission: CLASP · 2006-07-19 · CWE Draft 3
Modification: Eric Dalci · Cigital · 2008-07-01 · CWE 1.0

updated Time_of_Introduction

Modification: CWE Content Team · MITRE · 2008-09-08 · CWE 1.0

updated Applicable_Platforms, Common_Consequences, Relationships, Other_Notes, Taxonomy_Mappings

Modification: CWE Content Team · MITRE · 2010-09-27 · CWE 1.10

updated Name, Taxonomy_Mappings

Modification: CWE Content Team · MITRE · 2011-06-01 · CWE 1.13

updated Common_Consequences, Relationships, Taxonomy_Mappings

Modification: CWE Content Team · MITRE · 2012-05-11 · CWE 2.2

updated Relationships, Taxonomy_Mappings

Modification: CWE Content Team · MITRE · 2012-10-30 · CWE 2.3

updated Demonstrative_Examples

Modification: CWE Content Team · MITRE · 2014-06-23 · CWE 2.7

updated Description, Other_Notes, Potential_Mitigations

Modification: CWE Content Team · MITRE · 2014-07-30 · CWE 2.8

updated Relationships, Taxonomy_Mappings

Modification: CWE Content Team · MITRE · 2017-11-08 · CWE 3.0

updated Taxonomy_Mappings

Modification: CWE Content Team · MITRE · 2019-01-03 · CWE 3.2

updated Relationships, Taxonomy_Mappings

Modification: CWE Content Team · MITRE · 2020-02-24 · CWE 4.0

updated References

Modification: CWE Content Team · MITRE · 2021-03-15 · CWE 4.4

updated Relationships

Modification: CWE Content Team · MITRE · 2023-04-27 · CWE 4.11

updated Relationships

Modification: CWE Content Team · MITRE · 2023-06-29 · CWE 4.12

updated Mapping_Notes

Modification: CWE Content Team · MITRE · 2025-12-11 · CWE 4.19

updated Applicable_Platforms, Weakness_Ordinalities

Modification: CWE Content Team · MITRE · 2026-10-28 · CWE 5.0

updated Common_Consequences, Description

0 vulnerabilities reference this CWE, most recent first.

No vulnerabilities reference this CWE.

Mitigation
Implementation

Declare returned data which should not be altered as constant or immutable.

Mitigation
Implementation

Clone all mutable data before returning references to it. 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.

No CAPEC attack patterns related to this CWE.

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