CWE-110: Struts: Validator Without Form Field

Definition

What is CWE-110?

This vulnerability occurs when a Struts application's validation configuration file references form fields that no longer exist in the corresponding ActionForm class. This mismatch indicates outdated validation logic that can fail to properly check user input.

This issue commonly arises during maintenance. When a developer modifies an ActionForm by renaming or removing a field but forgets to update the associated validation rules (validator.xml), the validation logic becomes desynchronized. The system may then ignore validation for new or modified fields, potentially allowing malicious or malformed data to pass through. While Java applications themselves are not typically vulnerable to classic buffer overflows, this validation gap becomes critical if the application passes data to native code components (like C/C++ libraries). An attacker could exploit the missing validation to inject unexpected data, potentially triggering a buffer overflow in the native layer and compromising the system.

Auswirkungen in der Praxis

Real-world CVEs caused by CWE-110

Bisher sind in MITREs Katalog keine öffentlichen CVE-Referenzen mit dieser CWE verknüpft.

Wie Angreifer es ausnutzen

Angreiferpfad Schritt für Schritt

1
This example shows an inconsistency between an action form and a validation form. with a third field.
2
This first block of code shows an action form that has two fields, startDate and endDate.
3
This second block of related code shows a validation form with a third field: scale. The presence of the third field suggests that DateRangeForm was modified without taking validation into account.

Verwundbares Codebeispiel

Vulnerable Java

This first block of code shows an action form that has two fields, startDate and endDate.

Verwundbar Java

public class DateRangeForm extends ValidatorForm {
  		String startDate, endDate;
  		public void setStartDate(String startDate) {
  			this.startDate = startDate;
  		}
  		public void setEndDate(String endDate) {
  			this.endDate = endDate;
  		}
  }

Sicheres Codebeispiel

Secure pseudo

Sicher pseudo

// Validate, sanitize, or use a safe API before reaching the sink.
function handleRequest(input) {
  const safe = validateAndEscape(input);
  return executeWithGuards(safe);
}

What changed: the unsafe sink is replaced (or the input is validated/escaped) so the same payload no longer triggers the weakness.

Präventions-Checkliste

How to prevent CWE-110

Architecture Use safe-by-default frameworks and APIs that prevent the unsafe pattern from being expressible.
Implementation Validate input at trust boundaries; use allowlists, not denylists.
Implementation Apply the principle of least privilege to credentials, file paths, and runtime permissions.
Testing Cover this weakness in CI: SAST rules + targeted unit tests for the data flow.
Operation Monitor logs for the runtime signals listed in the next section.

Erkennungssignale

How to detect CWE-110

Automated Static Analysis Moderate

To find the issue in the implementation, manual checks or automated static analysis could be applied to the XML configuration files.

Manual Static Analysis Moderate

To find the issue in the implementation, manual checks or automated static analysis could be applied to the XML configuration files.

CWE-110

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Häufig gestellte Fragen

Frequently asked questions

Was ist CWE-110?

This vulnerability occurs when a Struts application's validation configuration file references form fields that no longer exist in the corresponding ActionForm class. This mismatch indicates outdated validation logic that can fail to properly check user input.

Wie gravierend ist CWE-110?

MITRE hat für diese Schwachstelle keine Exploit-Wahrscheinlichkeit veröffentlicht. Behandle sie als mittlere Auswirkung, bis dein Threat Model anderes belegt.

Welche Sprachen oder Plattformen sind von CWE-110 betroffen?

MITRE lists the following affected platforms: Java.

Wie kann ich CWE-110 verhindern?

Use safe-by-default frameworks, validate untrusted input at trust boundaries, and apply the principle of least privilege. Cover the data-flow signature in CI with SAST.

Wie erkennt und behebt Plexicus CWE-110?

Die SAST-Engine von Plexicus erkennt die Datenfluss-Signatur von CWE-110 bei jedem Commit. Bei einem Treffer öffnet unser Codex-Remedium-Agent einen Fix-PR mit korrigiertem Code, Tests und einer einzeiligen Zusammenfassung für den Reviewer.

Wo erfahre ich mehr über CWE-110?

MITRE veröffentlicht die kanonische Definition unter https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/110.html. Für ergänzende Hinweise kannst du auch die OWASP- und NIST-Dokumentation heranziehen.

Verwandte Schwachstellen

Weaknesses related to CWE-110

CWE-1164 Parent

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Struts: Validator Without Form Field

What is CWE-110?

Real-world CVEs caused by CWE-110

Angreiferpfad Schritt für Schritt

Vulnerable Java

Secure pseudo

How to prevent CWE-110

How to detect CWE-110

Don't catalog this weakness. Prove it's reachable.

Frequently asked questions

Weaknesses related to CWE-110

Irrelevant Code

Struts: Unused Validation Form

Empty Code Block

Dead Code

Assignment to Variable without Use

Further reading

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Sample evidence handover

Server-Side Request Forgery in `webhooks/receiver`