CWE-176 Improper Handling of Unicode Encoding – Detailed Weakness Analysis

Explore CAPEC attack patterns referencing this CWE.

What is CWE (Common Weakness Enumeration)?

The Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) is a community-developed list of common software and hardware weaknesses. By identifying these weaknesses, developers and security practitioners can prioritize and address potential vulnerabilities early in the development cycle. Explore our comprehensive CWE list below to better understand and mitigate common security issues.

CAPEC Patterns referencing CWE-176

Below is a list of CAPEC attack patterns associated with this CWE-176. Click on each CAPEC to learn more. The right column shows the related weaknesses (including this one).

CAPEC Related Weaknesses
Using Unicode Encoding to Bypass Validation Logic
CWE-20 Improper Input Validation
CWE-74 Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component ('Injection')
CWE-172 Encoding Error
CWE-173 Improper Handling of Alternate Encoding
CWE-176 Improper Handling of Unicode Encoding
CWE-179 Incorrect Behavior Order: Early Validation
CWE-180 Incorrect Behavior Order: Validate Before Canonicalize
CWE-183 Permissive List of Allowed Inputs
CWE-184 Incomplete List of Disallowed Inputs
CWE-692 Incomplete Denylist to Cross-Site Scripting
CWE-697 Incorrect Comparison

About CWE-176: Improper Handling of Unicode Encoding

CWE-176 is one of the established Common Weakness Enumerations that identifies a specific type of vulnerability in software. Detailed analysis of CWE-176 helps organizations understand the risks associated with this weakness and implement effective countermeasures.

Explore related attack patterns, best practices, and expert recommendations on this page. By understanding CWE-176, you can enhance your security posture and better protect your applications against exploitation.