CWE-463
Deletion of Data Structure Sentinel
Extended description
Often times data-structure sentinels are used to mark structure of the data structure. A common example of this is the null character at the end of strings. Another common example is linked lists which may contain a sentinel to mark the end of the list. It is dangerous to allow this type of control data to be easily accessible. Therefore, it is important to protect from the deletion or modification outside of some wrapper interface which provides safety.
Common consequences2
- AvailabilityOtherOther
Generally this error will cause the data structure to not work properly.
- AuthorizationOtherOther
If a control character, such as NULL is removed, one may cause resource access control problems.
Potential mitigations3
- Architecture and Design
Use an abstraction library to abstract away risky APIs. Not a complete solution.
- Build and CompilationDefense in Depth
Run or compile the software using features or extensions that automatically provide a protection mechanism that mitigates or eliminates buffer overflows. For example, certain compilers and extensions provide automatic buffer overflow detection mechanisms that are built into the compiled code. Examples include the Microsoft Visual Studio /GS flag, Fedora/Red Hat FORTIFY_SOURCE GCC flag, StackGuard, and ProPolice.
- Operation
Use OS-level preventative functionality. Not a complete solution.
CVEs referencing this CWE3
| CVE | Description | Severity | EPSS | Flags | Modified |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVE-2024-31475 | There is an arbitrary file deletion vulnerability in the Central Communications service accessed by PAPI (Aruba's access point management protocol). Successful exploitation of this vulnerability results in the ability to delete arbitrary files on the underlying operating system, which could lead to the ability to interrupt normal operation and impact the integrity of the affected Access Point. | HIGH8.2 | 0.45%p36 | 2025-06-24 | |
| CVE-2024-31474 | There is an arbitrary file deletion vulnerability in the CLI service accessed by PAPI (Aruba's Access Point management protocol). Successful exploitation of this vulnerability results in the ability to delete arbitrary files on the underlying operating system, which could lead to the ability to interrupt normal operation and impact the integrity of the affected Access Point | HIGH8.2 | 0.45%p36 | 2025-06-24 | |
| CVE-2024-13318 | The Essential WP Real Estate plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized access due to a missing capability check on the cl_delete_listing_func() function in all versions up to, and including, 1.1.3. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to delete arbitrary pages and posts. | MEDIUM5.3 | 0.33%p24 | 2026-04-08 |