CWE-832 Base Incomplet

Unlock of a Resource that is not Locked

This vulnerability occurs when a program tries to unlock a resource, such as a mutex or semaphore, that is not currently in a locked state.

Définition

What is CWE-832?

This vulnerability occurs when a program tries to unlock a resource, such as a mutex or semaphore, that is not currently in a locked state.
Attempting to unlock a resource that isn't locked is a logic error that can lead to unpredictable system behavior. The specific consequences depend heavily on the underlying locking mechanism, but often involve corrupting the resource's internal state or the memory structures used to manage lock ownership. This corruption can trigger crashes, cause data races, or leave the resource in an inconsistent state for subsequent operations. For developers, this highlights the importance of maintaining strict symmetry between lock and unlock calls. Always ensure your unlock logic is only executed on a code path where a successful lock was previously acquired. Using RAII (Resource Acquisition Is Initialization) patterns or language constructs like `synchronized` blocks can help automate this pairing and prevent such manual management errors.
Impact réel

Real-world CVEs caused by CWE-832

  • function in OS kernel unlocks a mutex that was not previously locked, causing a panic or overwrite of arbitrary memory.

  • Chain: OS kernel does not properly handle a failure of a function call (CWE-755), leading to an unlock of a resource that was not locked (CWE-832), with resultant crash.

  • OS kernel performs an unlock in some incorrect circumstances, leading to panic.

Comment les attaquants l'exploitent

Parcours de l'attaquant étape par étape

  1. 1

    Identifier un chemin de code qui traite des entrées non fiables sans validation.

  2. 2

    Élaborer une charge utile qui exploite le comportement non sécurisé — injection, traversal, débordement ou abus de logique.

  3. 3

    Délivrer la charge utile via une requête normale et observer la réaction de l'application.

  4. 4

    Itérer jusqu'à ce que la réponse divulgue des données, exécute le code de l'attaquant ou élève les privilèges.

Exemple de code vulnérable

Vulnerable pseudo

MITRE n'a pas publié d'exemple de code pour ce CWE. Le motif ci-dessous est illustratif — voir Ressources pour les références canoniques.

Vulnérable pseudo
// Example pattern — see MITRE for the canonical references.
function handleRequest(input) {
  // Untrusted input flows directly into the sensitive sink.
  return executeUnsafe(input);
}
Exemple de code sécurisé

Secure pseudo

Sécurisé 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.
Liste de contrôle de prévention

How to prevent CWE-832

  • 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.
Signaux de détection

How to detect CWE-832

SAST High

Exécuter une analyse statique (SAST) sur le code source à la recherche du motif non sécurisé dans le flux de données.

DAST Moderate

Exécuter des tests de sécurité applicative dynamique (DAST) contre le point de terminaison en ligne.

Runtime Moderate

Surveiller les journaux runtime pour détecter des traces d'exception inhabituelles, des entrées malformées ou des tentatives de contournement d'autorisation.

Code review Moderate

Revue de code : signaler tout nouveau code qui traite les entrées de cette surface sans utiliser les helpers du framework validés.

CWE-832

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

Plexicus turns CWE catalogs into evidence: every CWE-pattern is matched against your real code graph, reach is proven on a sandbox clone, and verified findings ship as reviewed PRs.

Questions fréquentes

Frequently asked questions

Qu'est-ce que CWE-832 ?

This vulnerability occurs when a program tries to unlock a resource, such as a mutex or semaphore, that is not currently in a locked state.

Quelle est la gravité de CWE-832 ?

MITRE n'a pas publié de note de probabilité d'exploitation pour cette faiblesse. Traitez-la comme un impact moyen jusqu'à ce que votre modèle de menace prouve le contraire.

Quels langages ou plateformes sont affectés par CWE-832 ?

MITRE n'a pas spécifié les plateformes affectées pour ce CWE — il peut s'appliquer à la plupart des stacks applicatives.

Comment puis-je prévenir CWE-832 ?

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.

Comment Plexicus détecte et corrige CWE-832 ?

Le moteur SAST de Plexicus reconnaît la signature de flux de données de CWE-832 à chaque commit. Lorsqu'une correspondance est trouvée, notre agent Codex Remedium ouvre une PR de correction avec le code corrigé, les tests et un résumé d'une ligne pour le relecteur.

Où puis-je en savoir plus sur CWE-832 ?

MITRE publie la définition canonique à https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/832.html. Vous pouvez également consulter la documentation OWASP et NIST pour des conseils adjacents.

Faiblesses associées

Weaknesses related to CWE-832

CWE-667 Parent

Improper Locking

This vulnerability occurs when a program fails to correctly acquire or release a lock on a shared resource, such as a file, database…

CWE-1232 Frère

Improper Lock Behavior After Power State Transition

This vulnerability occurs when a hardware lock bit, designed to protect critical system configuration registers, is improperly reset or…

CWE-1233 Frère

Security-Sensitive Hardware Controls with Missing Lock Bit Protection

This vulnerability occurs when a hardware device uses a lock bit to protect critical configuration registers, but the lock fails to…

CWE-1234 Frère

Hardware Internal or Debug Modes Allow Override of Locks

Hardware debug modes or internal states can bypass critical system lock protections, allowing unauthorized changes to device configuration.

CWE-412 Frère

Unrestricted Externally Accessible Lock

This vulnerability occurs when a system correctly checks for a lock's existence, but an unauthorized external actor can control or…

CWE-413 Frère

Improper Resource Locking

This vulnerability occurs when an application fails to properly lock a shared resource, such as a file or memory location, before…

CWE-414 Frère

Missing Lock Check

This vulnerability occurs when software fails to verify that a proper synchronization lock is active before accessing or modifying a…

CWE-609 Frère

Double-Checked Locking

Double-checked locking is an insufficient synchronization pattern where a program checks a resource's state, acquires a lock, and checks…

CWE-764 Frère

Multiple Locks of a Critical Resource

This vulnerability occurs when a critical resource, such as a file, data structure, or connection, is locked more times than the software…

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SAMPLE HANDOVER · ILLUSTRATIVE

Sample evidence handover

A trimmed view of what your team receives at the end of an AI Swarm Pentest engagement. Real engagements include full technical evidence, executive narrative, and a remediation plan.

VALIDATED FINDING Evidence attached

Server-Side Request Forgery in webhooks/receiver

demo-project/sample-app · src/webhooks/receiver.py:42

SeverityHigh CVSS 3.18.6 Priority79 Confirmedvia replay

Untrusted caller-supplied URLs reach an internal egress without an allowlist. Replayed in a sandbox against a fresh authorized target — the same control was validated to fail twice.

REVIEWER-READY REMEDIATION Merge-ready PR

Validate the target URL against an allowlist of permitted hostnames. Reject private/internal IP ranges. Enforce HTTPS only.

plexicus/remediation/webhooks-ssrf 3 changed · 0 new files
42resp = requests.get(target_url)
42+if not is_allowed_host(target_url):
43+  raise WebhookRejected(target_url)
44+resp = requests.get(target_url, timeout=5)
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  • Validated findings list
  • Merge-ready PRs
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