Common Weakness Enumeration

CWE-1044

Weakness Prohibited

Architecture with Number of Horizontal Layers Outside of Expected Range

Abstraction: Base · Status: Incomplete

The product's architecture contains too many - or too few - horizontal layers.

Mapping guidance

This entry is primarily a quality issue with no direct security implications.

Look for weaknesses that are focused specifically on insecure behaviors that have more direct security implications.

Relationships and members
ChildOf: CWE-710 · View CWE-1000
Modes of introduction
Architecture and Design
Detection methods

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.)

Effectiveness: High

Notes

Terminology

While the interpretation of "expected range" may vary for each product or developer, CISQ recommends a default minimum of 4 layers and maximum of 8 layers. [REF-1133]

Content history
Submission: CWE Content Team · MITRE · 2018-07-02 · CWE 3.2

Entry derived from Common Quality Enumeration (CQE) Draft 0.9.

Modification: CWE Content Team · MITRE · 2023-01-31 · CWE 4.10

updated Description

Modification: CWE Content Team · MITRE · 2023-04-27 · CWE 4.11

updated References, Relationships

Modification: CWE Content Team · MITRE · 2023-06-29 · CWE 4.12

updated Mapping_Notes

Modification: CWE Content Team · MITRE · 2024-02-29 · CWE 4.14

updated Mapping_Notes

Modification: CWE Content Team · MITRE · 2025-12-11 · CWE 4.19

updated Applicable_Platforms, Common_Consequences, Description

Modification: CWE Content Team · MITRE · 2026-10-28 · CWE 5.0

updated Description, Detection_Factors, References, Terminology_Notes

0 vulnerabilities reference this CWE, most recent first.

No vulnerabilities reference this CWE.

No mitigation information available for this CWE.

No CAPEC attack patterns related to this CWE.