CWEweakness

CWE-788 Access of Memory Location After End of Buffer

Official page ↗
Abstraction
Base
Structure
Simple
Status
Incomplete
Languages
C, C++, Memory-Unsafe
CWE version
5.0

Description

The product reads or writes to a buffer using an index or pointer that references a memory location after the end of the buffer.

Common consequences

• Confidentiality: Read Memory — For an out-of-bounds read, the attacker may have access to sensitive information. If the sensitive information contains system details, such as the current buffer's position in memory, this knowledge can be used to craft further attacks, possibly with more severe consequences. • Integrity, Availability: Modify Memory, DoS: Crash, Exit, or Restart — Out of bounds memory access will very likely result in the corruption of relevant memory, and perhaps instructions, possibly leading to a crash. Other attacks leading to lack of availability are possible, including putting the program into an infinite loop. • Integrity: Modify Memory, Execute Unauthorized Code or Commands — If the memory accessible by the attacker can be effectively controlled, it may be possible to execute arbitrary code, as with a standard buffer overflow. If the attacker can overwrite a pointer's worth of memory (usually 32 or 64 bits), they can redirect a function pointer to their own malicious code. Even when the attacker can only modify a single byte arbitrary code execution can be possible. Sometimes this is because the same problem can be exploited repeatedly to the same effect. Other times it is because the attacker can overwrite security-critical application-specific data -- such as a flag indicating whether the user is an administrator.

Detection methods

• Fuzzing: Fuzz testing (fuzzing) is a powerful technique for generating large numbers of diverse inputs - either randomly or algorithmically - and dynamically invoking the code with those inputs. Even with random inputs, it is often capable of generating unexpected results such as crashes, memory corruption, or resource consumption. Fuzzing effectively produces repeatable test cases that clearly indicate bugs, which helps developers to diagnose the issues. • Automated Static Analysis: Automated static analysis, commonly referred to as Static Application Security Testing (SAST), can find some instances of this weakness by analyzing source code (or binary/compiled code) without having to execute it. Typically, this is done by building a model of data flow and control flow, then searching for potentially-vulnerable patterns that connect "sources" (origins of input) with "sinks" (destinations where the data interacts with external components, a lower layer such as the OS, etc.) • Automated Dynamic Analysis: Use tools that are integrated during compilation to insert runtime error-checking mechanisms related to memory safety errors, such as AddressSanitizer (ASan) for C/C++ [REF-1518].

Observed examples

• CVE-2009-2550: Classic stack-based buffer overflow in media player using a long entry in a playlist • CVE-2009-2403: Heap-based buffer overflow in media player using a long entry in a playlist • CVE-2009-0689: large precision value in a format string triggers overflow • CVE-2009-0558: attacker-controlled array index leads to code execution • CVE-2008-4113: OS kernel trusts userland-supplied length value, allowing reading of sensitive information • CVE-2007-4268: Chain: integer signedness error (CWE-195) passes signed comparison, leading to heap overflow (CWE-122)

Related

Observed example · CVE (6)

  • CVE-2009-2550 Stack-based buffer overflow in Hamster Audio Player 0.3a allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a long string in a (1) .m3u… vulnerability
  • CVE-2009-2403 Heap-based buffer overflow in SCMPX 1.5.1 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) or execute arbitrary… vulnerability
  • CVE-2009-0689 Array index error in the (1) dtoa implementation in dtoa.c (aka pdtoa.c) and the (2) gdtoa (aka new dtoa) implementation in gdtoa/misc.c in… vulnerability
  • CVE-2009-0558 Array index error in Excel in Microsoft Office 2000 SP3 and Office 2004 and 2008 for Mac, and Open XML File Format Converter for Mac,… vulnerability
  • CVE-2008-4113 The sctp_getsockopt_hmac_ident function in net/sctp/socket.c in the Stream Control Transmission Protocol (sctp) implementation in the Linux… vulnerability
  • CVE-2007-4268 Integer signedness error in the Networking component in Apple Mac OS X 10.4 through 10.4.10 allows local users to execute arbitrary code… vulnerability

Child of · CWE (1)

  • CWE-119 Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer weakness

Overlaps · CWE (2)

  • CWE-126 Buffer Over-read weakness
  • CWE-787 Out-of-bounds Write weakness

Referenced by CVE · weakness (147)

  • CVE-2023-20585 Insufficient checks of the RMP on host buffer access in IOMMU may allow an attacker with privileges and a compromised hypervisor to trigger… vulnerability
  • CVE-2026-20052 A vulnerability in the memory management handling for the Snort 3 Detection Engine of Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense (FTD) Software… vulnerability
  • CVE-2026-21316 Audition versions 25.3 and earlier are affected by an Access of Memory Location After End of Buffer vulnerability that could lead to… vulnerability
  • CVE-2026-25584 iccDEV provides a set of libraries and tools that allow for the interaction, manipulation, and application of ICC color management profiles. vulnerability
  • CVE-2025-36581 Dell PowerEdge Platform version(s) 14G AMD BIOS v1.25.0 and prior, contain(s) an Access of Memory Location After End of Buffer… vulnerability
  • CVE-2025-43580 Audition versions 25.2, 24.6.3 and earlier are affected by an Access of Memory Location After End of Buffer vulnerability that could result… vulnerability
  • CVE-2024-20330 A vulnerability in the Snort 2 and Snort 3 TCP and UDP detection engine of Cisco Firepower Threat Defense (FTD) Software for Cisco… vulnerability
  • CVE-2024-20402 A vulnerability in the SSL VPN feature for Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) Software and Cisco Firepower Threat Defense (FTD)… vulnerability
  • CVE-2024-42425 Dell Precision Rack, 14G Intel BIOS versions prior to 2.22.2, contains an Access of Memory Location After End of Buffer vulnerability. vulnerability
  • CVE-2024-38304 Dell PowerEdge Platform, 14G Intel BIOS version(s) prior to 2.22.x, contains an Access of Memory Location After End of Buffer vulnerability. vulnerability
  • CVE-2024-5700 Memory safety bugs present in Firefox 126, Firefox ESR 115.11, and Thunderbird 115.11. vulnerability
  • CVE-2024-27828 The issue was addressed with improved memory handling. vulnerability
  • CVE-2024-27829 The issue was addressed with improved memory handling. vulnerability
  • CVE-2024-21618 An Access of Memory Location After End of Buffer vulnerability in the Layer-2 Control Protocols Daemon (l2cpd) of Juniper Networks Junos OS… vulnerability
  • CVE-2024-0074 NVIDIA GPU Display Driver for Linux contains a vulnerability where an attacker may access a memory location after the end of the buffer. vulnerability
  • CVE-2024-0154 Dell PowerEdge Server BIOS and Dell Precision Rack BIOS contain an improper parameter initialization vulnerability. vulnerability
  • CVE-2024-0173 Dell PowerEdge Server BIOS and Dell Precision Rack BIOS contain an improper parameter initialization vulnerability. vulnerability
  • CVE-2023-38570 Access of memory location after end of buffer for some Intel Unison software may allow an authenticated user to potentially enable… vulnerability
  • CVE-2023-20169 A vulnerability in the Intermediate System-to-Intermediate System (IS-IS) protocol of Cisco NX-OS Software for the Cisco Nexus 3000 Series… vulnerability
  • CVE-2023-22297 Access of memory location after end of buffer in some Intel(R) Server Board BMC firmware before version 2.90 may allow a privileged user to… vulnerability
  • CVE-2023-0200 NVIDIA DGX-2 contains a vulnerability in OFBD where a user with high privileges and a pre-conditioned heap can cause an access beyond a… vulnerability
  • CVE-2023-25506 NVIDIA DGX-1 contains a vulnerability in Ofbd in AMI SBIOS, where a preconditioned heap can allow a user with elevated privileges to cause… vulnerability
  • CVE-2023-0103 If an attacker were to access memory locations of LS ELECTRIC XBC-DN32U with operating system version 01.80 that are outside of the… vulnerability
  • CVE-2022-24893 ESP-IDF is the official development framework for Espressif SoCs. vulnerability
  • CVE-2021-40727 Access of Memory Location After End of Buffer (CWE-788 vulnerability
  • CVE-2021-42732 Access of Memory Location After End of Buffer (CWE-788) vulnerability
  • CVE-2021-42735 Adobe Photoshop version 22.5.1 (and earlier versions ) is affected by an Access of Memory Location After End of Buffer vulnerability,… vulnerability
  • CVE-2022-1451 Out-of-bounds Read in r_bin_java_constant_value_attr_new function in GitHub repository radareorg/radare2 prior to 5.7.0. vulnerability
  • CVE-2021-40734 Adobe Audition version 14.4 (and earlier) is affected by a memory corruption vulnerability when parsing a SVG file, potentially resulting… vulnerability
  • CVE-2021-40735 Adobe Audition version 14.4 (and earlier) is affected by a memory corruption vulnerability, potentially resulting in arbitrary code… vulnerability
Show all 147 ›

Referenced by CWE · child of (3)

  • CWE-121 Stack-based Buffer Overflow weakness
  • CWE-122 Heap-based Buffer Overflow weakness
  • CWE-126 Buffer Over-read weakness

Referenced by CWE · has member (1)