CWE-386β€”Symbolic Name not Mapping to Correct Object

PUBLISHEDweakness record
released 2006-07-19 Β· last modified 2025-12-11

Metadata

CWE ID:
CWE-386
Abstraction:
Base
Structure:
Simple
Status:
Draft
Release Date:
2006-07-19
Latest Modification Date:
2025-12-11

Weakness Name

Symbolic Name not Mapping to Correct Object

Description

A constant symbolic reference to an object is used, even though the reference can resolve to a different object over time.

Common Consequences

Scope:
Access Control
Impact:
Gain Privileges or Assume Identity
Notes:
The attacker can gain access to otherwise unauthorized resources.
Scope:
Integrity, Confidentiality, Other
Impact:
Modify Application Data, Modify Files or Directories, Read Application Data, Read Files or Directories, Other
Notes:
Race conditions such as this kind may be employed to gain read or write access to resources not normally readable or writable by the user in question.
Scope:
Integrity, Other
Impact:
Modify Application Data, Other
Notes:
The resource in question, or other resources (through the corrupted one) may be changed in undesirable ways by a malicious user.
Scope:
Non-Repudiation
Impact:
Hide Activities
Notes:
If a file or other resource is written in this method, as opposed to a valid way, logging of the activity may not occur.
Scope:
Non-Repudiation, Integrity
Impact:
Modify Files or Directories
Notes:
In some cases it may be possible to delete files that a malicious user might not otherwise have access to -- such as log files.

Related Weaknesses