CWE-1246β€”Improper Write Handling in Limited-write Non-Volatile Memories

PUBLISHEDweakness record
released 2020-02-24 Β· last modified 2025-12-11

Metadata

CWE ID:
CWE-1246
Abstraction:
Base
Structure:
Simple
Status:
Incomplete
Release Date:
2020-02-24
Latest Modification Date:
2025-12-11

Weakness Name

Improper Write Handling in Limited-write Non-Volatile Memories

Description

The product does not implement or incorrectly implements wear leveling operations in limited-write non-volatile memories.

Non-volatile memories such as NAND Flash, EEPROM, etc. have individually erasable segments, each of which can be put through a limited number of program/erase or write cycles. For example, the device can only endure a limited number of writes, after which the device becomes unreliable. In order to wear out the cells in a uniform manner, non-volatile memory and storage products based on the above-mentioned technologies implement a technique called wear leveling. Once a set threshold is reached, wear leveling maps writes of a logical block to a different physical block. This prevents a single physical block from prematurely failing due to a high concentration of writes.

Common Consequences

Scope:
Availability
Impact:
DoS: Instability
Notes:
If wear leveling is improperly implemented, attackers may be able to programmatically cause the storage to become unreliable within a much shorter time than would normally be expected.

Related Weaknesses