CWE-234 Variante Incompleto High likelihood

Failure to Handle Missing Parameter

This vulnerability occurs when a function or method receives fewer arguments than it expects. The function will still attempt to process its expected number of parameters, which can lead to reading…

Definição

What is CWE-234?

This vulnerability occurs when a function or method receives fewer arguments than it expects. The function will still attempt to process its expected number of parameters, which can lead to reading undefined, stale, or arbitrary values from the program's memory or stack, causing crashes or unexpected behavior.
At its core, this flaw is about mismatched expectations between a function's definition and its actual usage. When a caller provides insufficient arguments, the function doesn't receive the data it was designed to process. Instead, it pulls whatever values happen to be in the memory locations (like the stack) where it expected to find its parameters. These values could be remnants from previous operations, uninitialized memory, or even parts of other data structures, leading directly to instability, incorrect calculations, or security breaches. To prevent this, developers must implement robust input validation at the function's entry point. This includes explicitly checking the number of received arguments, defining safe default values for optional parameters, and using modern language features like default arguments or variadic function safeguards. For lower-level code or APIs, clear documentation and runtime assertions are critical to ensure callers and functions agree on the required contract, preventing the program from operating on garbage data.
Impacto no mundo real

Real-world CVEs caused by CWE-234

  • Server earlier allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) via an HTTP request with a sequence of "%" characters and a missing Host field.

  • Chat client allows remote malicious IRC servers to cause a denial of service (crash) via a PART message with (1) a missing channel or (2) a channel that the user is not in.

  • Proxy allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) via an HTTP request to helpout.exe with a missing HTTP version numbers.

  • Web server allows disclosure of CGI source code via an HTTP request without the version number.

  • Application server allows a remote attacker to read the source code to arbitrary 'jsp' files via a malformed URL request which does not end with an HTTP protocol specification.

  • Chat software allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service via malformed GIF89a headers that do not contain a GCT (Global Color Table) or an LCT (Local Color Table) after an Image Descriptor.

  • Server allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) via an HTTP GET request without a URI.

  • CGI crashes when called without any arguments.

Como os atacantes a exploram

Trajeto do atacante passo a passo

  1. 1

    Identificar um caminho de código que trata input não confiável sem validação.

  2. 2

    Criar um payload que explora o comportamento inseguro — injeção, traversal, overflow ou abuso de lógica.

  3. 3

    Entregar o payload através de um pedido normal e observar a reação da aplicação.

  4. 4

    Iterar até que a resposta exponha dados, execute código do atacante ou escale privilégios.

Exemplo de código vulnerável

Vulnerable C

The following example demonstrates the weakness.

Vulnerável C
foo_funct(one, two);
  void foo_funct(int one, int two, int three) {
  	printf("1) %d\n2) %d\n3) %d\n", one, two, three);
  }
Exemplo de código seguro

Secure pseudo

Seguro 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.
Lista de verificação de prevenção

How to prevent CWE-234

  • Build and Compilation This issue can be simply combated with the use of proper build process.
  • Implementation Forward declare all functions. This is the recommended solution. Properly forward declaration of all used functions will result in a compiler error if too few arguments are sent to a function.
Sinais de deteção

How to detect CWE-234

SAST High

Executar análise estática (SAST) na base de código à procura do padrão inseguro no fluxo de dados.

DAST Moderate

Executar testes dinâmicos de segurança de aplicações (DAST) contra o endpoint em execução.

Runtime Moderate

Monitorizar os registos em tempo de execução para traços de exceção invulgares, input malformado ou tentativas de contornar a autorização.

Code review Moderate

Revisão de código: sinalizar qualquer novo código que trate input desta superfície sem usar os ajudantes validados do framework.

CWE-234

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.

Perguntas frequentes

Frequently asked questions

O que é o CWE-234?

This vulnerability occurs when a function or method receives fewer arguments than it expects. The function will still attempt to process its expected number of parameters, which can lead to reading undefined, stale, or arbitrary values from the program's memory or stack, causing crashes or unexpected behavior.

Qual a gravidade do CWE-234?

A MITRE classifica a probabilidade de exploração como Alta — esta fraqueza é ativamente explorada em campo e deve ser priorizada para remediação.

Que linguagens ou plataformas são afetadas pelo CWE-234?

A MITRE não especificou as plataformas afetadas por este CWE — pode aplicar-se à maioria das stacks de aplicações.

Como posso prevenir o CWE-234?

This issue can be simply combated with the use of proper build process. Forward declare all functions. This is the recommended solution. Properly forward declaration of all used functions will result in a compiler error if too few arguments are sent to a function.

Como é que o Plexicus deteta e corrige o CWE-234?

O motor SAST do Plexicus correlaciona a assinatura de fluxo de dados do CWE-234 em cada commit. Quando é encontrada uma correspondência, o nosso agente Codex Remedium abre um PR de correção com o código corrigido, testes e um resumo de uma linha para o revisor.

Onde posso saber mais sobre o CWE-234?

A MITRE publica a definição canónica em https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/234.html. Pode também consultar a documentação da OWASP e do NIST para orientações adjacentes.

Pronto para validar o que importa?

Pronto para validar o que importa.

O Plexicus é Proof-Driven AppSec: achados validados, compreensão contextual e remediação revisada — ancorada em evidência, escopada com você.

Qualificação

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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)
Every engagement hands over:
  • Executive briefing
  • Validated findings list
  • Merge-ready PRs
  • Compliance mapping (NIS2 · DORA · CRA)
Ronda privada Para investidores