CWE-185 Incorrect Regular Expression – 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-185

Below is a list of CAPEC attack patterns associated with this CWE-185. Click on each CAPEC to learn more. The right column shows the related weaknesses (including this one).

CAPEC

Related Weaknesses

Command Delimiters

CWE-77	Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in a Command ('Command Injection')
CWE-78	Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection')
CWE-93	Improper Neutralization of CRLF Sequences ('CRLF Injection')
CWE-138	Improper Neutralization of Special Elements
CWE-140	Improper Neutralization of Delimiters
CWE-146	Improper Neutralization of Expression/Command Delimiters
CWE-154	Improper Neutralization of Variable Name Delimiters
CWE-157	Failure to Sanitize Paired Delimiters
CWE-184	Incomplete List of Disallowed Inputs
CWE-185	Incorrect Regular Expression
CWE-697	Incorrect Comparison

Argument Injection

CWE-74	Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component ('Injection')
CWE-78	Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection')
CWE-146	Improper Neutralization of Expression/Command Delimiters
CWE-184	Incomplete List of Disallowed Inputs
CWE-185	Incorrect Regular Expression
CWE-697	Incorrect Comparison

Using Slashes in Alternate Encoding

CWE-20	Improper Input Validation
CWE-22	Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')
CWE-73	External Control of File Name or Path
CWE-74	Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component ('Injection')
CWE-173	Improper Handling of Alternate Encoding
CWE-180	Incorrect Behavior Order: Validate Before Canonicalize
CWE-181	Incorrect Behavior Order: Validate Before Filter
CWE-185	Incorrect Regular Expression
CWE-200	Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor
CWE-697	Incorrect Comparison
CWE-707	Improper Neutralization

About CWE-185: Incorrect Regular Expression

CWE-185 is one of the established Common Weakness Enumerations that identifies a specific type of vulnerability in software. Detailed analysis of CWE-185 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-185, you can enhance your security posture and better protect your applications against exploitation.