CWE-768 - Incorrect Short Circuit Evaluation
CWE-768 Low
- Abstraction:
- Variant
- Structure:
- Simple
- Status:
- Incomplete
- Weakness Name
Incorrect Short Circuit Evaluation
- Description
The product contains a conditional statement with multiple logical expressions in which one of the non-leading expressions may produce side effects. This may lead to an unexpected state in the program after the execution of the conditional, because short-circuiting logic may prevent the side effects from occurring.
Usage of short circuit evaluation, though well-defined in the C standard, may alter control flow in a way that introduces logic errors that are difficult to detect, possibly causing errors later during the product's execution. If an attacker can discover such an inconsistency, it may be exploitable to gain arbitrary control over a system. If the first condition of an "or" statement is assumed to be true under normal circumstances, or if the first condition of an "and" statement is assumed to be false, then any subsequent conditional may contain its own logic errors that are not detected during code review or testing. Finally, the usage of short circuit evaluation may decrease the maintainability of the code.
- Common Consequences
Scope: Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability
Impact: Varies by Context
Notes: Widely varied consequences are possible if an attacker is aware of an unexpected state in the product after a conditional. It may lead to information exposure, a system crash, or even complete attacker control of the system.
- Related Weaknesses
- Release Date:
- 2009-05-27
- Latest Modification Date:
- 2023-10-26
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