CWE-468βIncorrect Pointer Scaling
PUBLISHEDweakness recordMedium
released 2006-07-19 Β· last modified 2025-12-11
Metadata
- CWE ID:
- CWE-468
- Abstraction:
- Base
- Structure:
- Simple
- Status:
- Incomplete
- Release Date:
- 2006-07-19
- Latest Modification Date:
- 2025-12-11
Weakness Name
Incorrect Pointer Scaling
Description
In C and C++, one may often accidentally refer to the wrong memory due to the semantics of when math operations are implicitly scaled.
Common Consequences
- Scope:
- Confidentiality, Integrity
- Impact:
- Read Memory, Modify Memory
- Notes:
- Incorrect pointer scaling will often result in buffer overflow conditions. Confidentiality can be compromised if the weakness is in the context of a buffer over-read or under-read.