{"@ID": "395", "@Name": "Use of NullPointerException Catch to Detect NULL Pointer Dereference", "@Abstraction": "Base", "@Structure": "Simple", "@Status": "Draft", "Description": "Catching NullPointerException should not be used as an alternative to programmatic checks to prevent dereferencing a null pointer.", "Extended_Description": {"xhtml:p": ["Programmers typically catch NullPointerException under three circumstances:", "Of these three circumstances, only the last is acceptable."], "xhtml:ul": {"xhtml:li": ["The program contains a null pointer dereference. Catching the resulting exception was easier than fixing the underlying problem.", "The program explicitly throws a NullPointerException to signal an error condition.", "The code is part of a test harness that supplies unexpected input to the classes under test."]}}, "Related_Weaknesses": {"Related_Weakness": [{"@Nature": "ChildOf", "@CWE_ID": "705", "@View_ID": "1000", "@Ordinal": "Primary"}, {"@Nature": "ChildOf", "@CWE_ID": "755", "@View_ID": "1000"}]}, "Weakness_Ordinalities": {"Weakness_Ordinality": {"Ordinality": "Primary"}}, "Applicable_Platforms": {"Language": {"@Name": "Java", "@Prevalence": "Undetermined"}}, "Modes_Of_Introduction": {"Introduction": {"Phase": "Implementation"}}, "Common_Consequences": {"Consequence": {"Scope": "Availability", "Impact": "DoS: Resource Consumption (CPU)"}}, "Detection_Methods": {"Detection_Method": [{"Method": "Automated Static Analysis - Binary or Bytecode", "Description": {"xhtml:p": "According to SOAR [REF-1479], the following detection techniques may be useful:", "xhtml:div": {"@style": "margin-left:1em;", "xhtml:div": "Cost effective for partial coverage:", "xhtml:ul": {"xhtml:li": ["Bytecode Weakness Analysis - including disassembler + source code weakness analysis", "Binary Weakness Analysis - including disassembler + source code weakness analysis"]}}}, "Effectiveness": "SOAR Partial"}, {"Method": "Dynamic Analysis with Manual Results Interpretation", "Description": {"xhtml:p": "According to SOAR [REF-1479], the following detection techniques may be useful:", "xhtml:div": {"@style": "margin-left:1em;", "xhtml:div": "Cost effective for partial coverage:", "xhtml:ul": {"xhtml:li": "Framework-based Fuzzer"}}}, "Effectiveness": "SOAR Partial"}, {"Method": "Manual Static Analysis - Source Code", "Description": {"xhtml:p": "According to SOAR [REF-1479], the following detection techniques may be useful:", "xhtml:div": {"@style": "margin-left:1em;", "xhtml:div": "Cost effective for partial coverage:", "xhtml:ul": {"xhtml:li": "Manual Source Code Review (not inspections)"}}}, "Effectiveness": "SOAR Partial"}, {"Method": "Automated Static Analysis - Source Code", "Description": {"xhtml:p": "According to SOAR [REF-1479], the following detection techniques may be useful:", "xhtml:div": {"@style": "margin-left:1em;", "xhtml:div": "Highly cost effective:", "xhtml:ul": {"xhtml:li": ["Source code Weakness Analyzer", "Context-configured Source Code Weakness Analyzer"]}}}, "Effectiveness": "High"}, {"Method": "Architecture or Design Review", "Description": {"xhtml:p": "According to SOAR [REF-1479], the following detection techniques may be useful:", "xhtml:div": {"@style": "margin-left:1em;", "xhtml:div": ["Highly cost effective:", "Cost effective for partial coverage:"], "xhtml:ul": [{"xhtml:li": "Formal Methods / Correct-By-Construction"}, {"xhtml:li": "Inspection (IEEE 1028 standard) (can apply to requirements, design, source code, etc.)"}]}}, "Effectiveness": "High"}]}, "Potential_Mitigations": {"Mitigation": {"Phase": ["Architecture and Design", "Implementation"], "Description": "Do not extensively rely on catching exceptions (especially for validating user input) to handle errors. Handling exceptions can decrease the performance of an application."}}, "Demonstrative_Examples": {"Demonstrative_Example": {"@Demonstrative_Example_ID": "DX-202", "Intro_Text": "The following code mistakenly catches a NullPointerException.", "Example_Code": {"@Nature": "Bad", "@Language": "Java", "xhtml:div": {"xhtml:div": {"@style": "margin-left:1em;", "#text": "mysteryMethod();"}, "xhtml:br": null, "#text": "try {\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\t  } catch (NullPointerException npe) {\n                  }"}}}}, "Taxonomy_Mappings": {"Taxonomy_Mapping": [{"@Taxonomy_Name": "7 Pernicious Kingdoms", "Entry_Name": "Catching NullPointerException"}, {"@Taxonomy_Name": "The CERT Oracle Secure Coding Standard for Java (2011)", "Entry_ID": "ERR08-J", "Entry_Name": "Do not catch NullPointerException or any of its ancestors"}]}, "References": {"Reference": [{"@External_Reference_ID": "REF-6"}, {"@External_Reference_ID": "REF-1479"}]}, "Mapping_Notes": {"Usage": "Allowed", "Rationale": "This CWE entry is at the Base level of abstraction, which is a preferred level of abstraction for mapping to the root causes of vulnerabilities.", "Comments": "Carefully read both the name and description to ensure that this mapping is an appropriate fit. Do not try to 'force' a mapping to a lower-level Base/Variant simply to comply with this preferred level of abstraction.", "Reasons": {"Reason": {"@Type": "Acceptable-Use"}}}, "Content_History": {"Submission": {"Submission_Name": "7 Pernicious Kingdoms", "Submission_Date": "2006-07-19", "Submission_Version": "Draft 3", "Submission_ReleaseDate": "2006-07-19"}, "Modification": [{"Modification_Name": "Eric Dalci", "Modification_Organization": "Cigital", "Modification_Date": "2008-07-01", "Modification_Version": "1.0", "Modification_ReleaseDate": "2008-09-09", "Modification_Comment": "updated Time_of_Introduction"}, {"Modification_Name": "CWE Content Team", "Modification_Organization": "MITRE", "Modification_Date": "2008-09-08", "Modification_Version": "1.0", "Modification_ReleaseDate": "2008-09-09", "Modification_Comment": "updated Relationships, Other_Notes, Taxonomy_Mappings"}, {"Modification_Name": "CWE Content Team", "Modification_Organization": "MITRE", "Modification_Date": "2009-03-10", "Modification_Version": "1.3", "Modification_ReleaseDate": "2009-03-10", "Modification_Comment": "updated Relationships"}, {"Modification_Name": "CWE Content Team", "Modification_Organization": "MITRE", "Modification_Date": "2009-05-27", "Modification_Version": "1.4", "Modification_ReleaseDate": "2009-05-27", "Modification_Comment": "updated Demonstrative_Examples"}, {"Modification_Name": "CWE Content Team", "Modification_Organization": "MITRE", "Modification_Date": "2011-03-29", "Modification_Version": "1.12", "Modification_ReleaseDate": "2011-03-30", "Modification_Comment": "updated Other_Notes, Relationships"}, {"Modification_Name": "CWE Content Team", "Modification_Organization": "MITRE", "Modification_Date": "2011-06-01", "Modification_Version": "1.13", "Modification_ReleaseDate": "2011-06-01", "Modification_Comment": "updated Common_Consequences, Relationships, Taxonomy_Mappings"}, {"Modification_Name": "CWE Content Team", "Modification_Organization": "MITRE", "Modification_Date": "2012-05-11", "Modification_Version": "2.2", "Modification_ReleaseDate": "2012-05-15", "Modification_Comment": "updated Relationships"}, {"Modification_Name": "CWE Content Team", "Modification_Organization": "MITRE", "Modification_Date": "2012-10-30", "Modification_Version": "2.3", "Modification_ReleaseDate": "2012-10-30", "Modification_Comment": "updated Potential_Mitigations"}, {"Modification_Name": "CWE Content Team", "Modification_Organization": "MITRE", "Modification_Date": "2014-06-23", "Modification_Version": "2.7", "Modification_ReleaseDate": "2014-06-23", "Modification_Comment": "updated Description, Other_Notes"}, {"Modification_Name": "CWE Content Team", "Modification_Organization": "MITRE", "Modification_Date": "2014-07-30", "Modification_Version": "2.8", "Modification_ReleaseDate": "2014-07-31", "Modification_Comment": "updated Detection_Factors, Relationships"}, {"Modification_Name": "CWE Content Team", "Modification_Organization": "MITRE", "Modification_Date": "2019-01-03", "Modification_Version": "3.2", "Modification_ReleaseDate": "2019-01-03", "Modification_Comment": "updated Taxonomy_Mappings"}, {"Modification_Name": "CWE Content Team", "Modification_Organization": "MITRE", "Modification_Date": "2020-02-24", "Modification_Version": "4.0", "Modification_ReleaseDate": "2020-02-24", "Modification_Comment": "updated References"}, {"Modification_Name": "CWE Content Team", "Modification_Organization": "MITRE", "Modification_Date": "2023-04-27", "Modification_Version": "4.11", "Modification_ReleaseDate": "2023-04-27", "Modification_Comment": "updated Relationships"}, {"Modification_Name": "CWE Content Team", "Modification_Organization": "MITRE", "Modification_Date": "2023-06-29", "Modification_Version": "4.12", "Modification_ReleaseDate": "2023-06-29", "Modification_Comment": "updated Mapping_Notes"}, {"Modification_Name": "CWE Content Team", "Modification_Organization": "MITRE", "Modification_Date": "2024-02-29", "Modification_Version": "4.14", "Modification_ReleaseDate": "2024-02-29", "Modification_Comment": "updated Demonstrative_Examples"}, {"Modification_Name": "CWE Content Team", "Modification_Organization": "MITRE", "Modification_Date": "2025-09-09", "Modification_Version": "4.18", "Modification_ReleaseDate": "2025-09-09", "Modification_Comment": "updated Detection_Factors, References"}, {"Modification_Name": "CWE Content Team", "Modification_Organization": "MITRE", "Modification_Date": "2025-12-11", "Modification_Version": "4.19", "Modification_ReleaseDate": "2025-12-11", "Modification_Comment": "updated Weakness_Ordinalities"}], "Previous_Entry_Name": {"@Date": "2008-04-11", "#text": "Catch NullPointerException"}}}