CWE-470
Use of Externally-Controlled Input to Select Classes or Code ('Unsafe Reflection')
Description
The product uses external input with reflection to select which classes or code to use, but it does not sufficiently prevent the input from selecting improper classes or code.
If the product uses external inputs to determine which class to instantiate or which method to invoke, then an attacker could supply values to select unexpected classes or methods. If this occurs, then the attacker could create control flow paths that were not intended by the developer. These paths could bypass authentication or access control checks, or otherwise cause the product to behave in an unexpected manner. This situation becomes a doomsday scenario if the attacker can upload files into a location that appears on the product's classpath (CWE-427) or add new entries to the product's classpath (CWE-426). Under either of these conditions, the attacker can use reflection to introduce new, malicious behavior into the product.
Common Consequences
Scope
Impact
Execute Unauthorized Code or Commands, Alter Execution Logic
Scope
Impact
DoS: Crash, Exit, or Restart, Other
Scope
Impact
Read Application Data
Potential Mitigations
Refactor your code to avoid using reflection.
Do not use user-controlled inputs to select and load classes or code.
Apply strict input validation by using allowlists or indirect selection to ensure that the user is only selecting allowable classes or code.
CVE-2018-1000613Cryptography API uses unsafe reflection when deserializing a private key
CVE-2004-2331Database system allows attackers to bypass sandbox restrictions by using the Reflection API.
Applicable Platforms
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