CWE-78 Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection') – 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-78

Below is a list of CAPEC attack patterns associated with this CWE-78. Click on each CAPEC to learn more. The right column shows the related weaknesses (including this one).

CAPEC Related Weaknesses
Command Line Execution through SQL Injection
CWE-20 Improper Input Validation
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-89 Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection')
CWE-114 Process Control
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
Exploiting Multiple Input Interpretation Layers
CWE-20 Improper Input Validation
CWE-74 Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component ('Injection')
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-179 Incorrect Behavior Order: Early Validation
CWE-181 Incorrect Behavior Order: Validate Before Filter
CWE-183 Permissive List of Allowed Inputs
CWE-184 Incomplete List of Disallowed Inputs
CWE-697 Incorrect Comparison
CWE-707 Improper Neutralization
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
OS Command Injection
CWE-20 Improper Input Validation
CWE-78 Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection')
CWE-88 Improper Neutralization of Argument Delimiters in a Command ('Argument Injection')
CWE-697 Incorrect Comparison

About CWE-78: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection')

CWE-78 is one of the established Common Weakness Enumerations that identifies a specific type of vulnerability in software. Detailed analysis of CWE-78 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-78, you can enhance your security posture and better protect your applications against exploitation.