CWE-1074βClass with Excessively Deep Inheritance
PUBLISHEDweakness record
released 2019-01-03 Β· last modified 2025-12-11
Metadata
- CWE ID:
- CWE-1074
- Abstraction:
- Base
- Structure:
- Simple
- Status:
- Incomplete
- Release Date:
- 2019-01-03
- Latest Modification Date:
- 2025-12-11
Weakness Name
Class with Excessively Deep Inheritance
Description
A class has an inheritance level that is too high, i.e., it has a large number of parent classes.
While the interpretation of "large number of parent classes" may vary for each product or developer, CISQ recommends a default maximum of 7 parent classes.
Common Consequences
- Scope:
- Other
- Impact:
- Reduce Maintainability, Increase Analytical Complexity
- Notes:
- This issue makes it more difficult to understand and maintain the product, which indirectly affects security by making it more difficult or time-consuming to find and/or fix vulnerabilities. It also might make it easier to introduce vulnerabilities.