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Description
The software does not properly restrict reading from or writing to dynamically-identified variables.
Many languages offer powerful features that allow the programmer to access arbitrary variables that are specified by an input string. While these features can offer significant flexibility and reduce development time, they can be extremely dangerous if attackers can modify unintended variables that have security implications.
Modes of Introduction:
– Architecture and Design
Likelihood of Exploit:
Related Weaknesses
CWE-99
CWE-913
Consequences
Integrity: Modify Application Data
An attacker could modify sensitive data or program variables.
Integrity: Execute Unauthorized Code or Commands
Other, Integrity: Varies by Context, Alter Execution Logic
Potential Mitigations
Phase: Implementation
Effectiveness:
Description:
For any externally-influenced input, check the input against an allowlist of internal program variables that are allowed to be modified.
Phase: Implementation, Architecture and Design
Effectiveness:
Description:
Refactor the code so that internal program variables do not need to be dynamically identified.
CVE References
- CVE-2006-7079
- extract used for register_globals compatibility layer, enables path traversal
- CVE-2007-0649
- extract() buried in include files makes post-disclosure analysis confusing; original report had seemed incorrect.
- CVE-2006-2828
- import_request_variables() buried in include files makes post-disclosure analysis confusing
- CVE-2009-0422
- Chain: Dynamic variable evaluation allows resultant remote file inclusion and path traversal.
- CVE-2007-2431
- Chain: dynamic variable evaluation in PHP program used to modify critical, unexpected $_SERVER variable for resultant XSS.
- CVE-2006-4904
- Chain: dynamic variable evaluation in PHP program used to conduct remote file inclusion.
- CVE-2006-4019
- Dynamic variable evaluation in mail program allows reading and modifying attachments and preferences of other users.
