CWE-502βDeserialization of Untrusted Data
PUBLISHEDweakness recordMedium
released 2006-07-19 Β· last modified 2026-04-30
Metadata
- CWE ID:
- CWE-502
- Abstraction:
- Base
- Structure:
- Simple
- Status:
- Draft
- Release Date:
- 2006-07-19
- Latest Modification Date:
- 2026-04-30
Weakness Name
Deserialization of Untrusted Data
Description
The product deserializes untrusted data without sufficiently ensuring that the resulting data will be valid.
Common Consequences
- Scope:
- Integrity
- Impact:
- Modify Application Data, Unexpected State
- Notes:
- Attackers can modify unexpected objects or data that was assumed to be safe from modification. Deserialized data or code could be modified without using the provided accessor functions, or unexpected functions could be invoked.
- Scope:
- Availability
- Impact:
- DoS: Resource Consumption (CPU)
- Notes:
- If a function is making an assumption on when to terminate, based on a sentry in a string, it could easily never terminate.
- Scope:
- Other
- Impact:
- Varies by Context
- Notes:
- The consequences can vary widely, because it depends on which objects or methods are being deserialized, and how they are used. Making an assumption that the code in the deserialized object is valid is dangerous and can enable exploitation. One example is attackers using gadget chains to perform unauthorized actions, such as generating a shell.
