What is Attempt to Access Child (CWE-588)?

AI-friendly summary

TL;DR: Attempt to Access Child of a Non-structure Pointer (CWE-588) is a vulnerability that arises from incorrect type casting, leading to memory corruption. Fix by ensuring safe type conversions.

What is Attempt to Access Child of a Non-structure Pointer?

Attempt to Access Child of a Non-structure Pointer (CWE-588) is a type of vulnerability that occurs when incompatible data types are cast and accessed, leading to memory corruption or undefined behavior. As defined by the MITRE Corporation under CWE-588.

Quick Summary

This weakness arises from casting non-structure types to structure types without proper checks, resulting in potential memory access errors or data corruption. It impacts system availability and integrity. Jump to: What is Attempt to Access Child of a Non-structure Pointer? · Overview · How it Works · Business Impact · Attack Scenario · Detection · Fix · Framework-Specific Fixes · Ask AI · Checklist · FAQ · Related Vulnerabilities

Jump to: What is Attempt to Access Child of a Non-structure Pointer? · Quick Summary · Attempt to Access Child of a Non-structure Pointer Overview · How Attempt to Access Child of a Non-structure Pointer Works · Business Impact of Attempt to Access Child of a Non-structure Pointer · Attempt to Access Child of a Non-structure Pointer Attack Scenario · How to Detect Attempt to Access Child of a Non-structure Pointer · How to Fix Attempt to Access Child of a Non-structure Pointer · Framework-Specific Fixes for Attempt to Access Child of a Non-structure Pointer · How to Ask AI to Check Your Code for Attempt to Access Child of a Non-structure Pointer · Attempt to Access Child of a Non-structure Pointer Best Practices Checklist · Attempt to Access Child of a Non-structure Pointer FAQ · Vulnerabilities Related to Attempt to Access Child of a Non-structure Pointer · References · Scan Your Own Site

Attempt to Access Child of a Non-structure Pointer Overview

What: Incorrect type conversion or cast leading to memory corruption. Why it matters: Can cause crashes, data integrity issues, and undefined behavior in applications. Where it occurs: In C/C++, Java, Python code where incompatible types are casted. Who is affected: Developers using languages that allow unsafe casting operations. Who is NOT affected: Applications that enforce strict type checking or use languages with strong typing.

How Attempt to Access Child of a Non-structure Pointer Works

Root Cause

The root cause lies in the incorrect conversion and access of non-structure types as if they were structure types, leading to undefined behavior.

Attack Flow

1. Incompatible data types are casted.
2. Fields within the casted type are accessed without proper checks.
3. Memory corruption or undefined behavior occurs.

   Prerequisites to Exploit

   • Code that performs unsafe type conversions.
   • Lack of validation before accessing fields after casting.

     Vulnerable Code

     int* ptr = (int*)malloc(sizeof(int));
     struct MyStruct {
     int field;
     };
     MyStruct* structPtr = (MyStruct*)ptr; // Unsafe cast
     cout << structPtr->field; // Accessing non-existent structure field
     

     This code demonstrates unsafe casting of a pointer to an incompatible type and accessing fields without validation.

     Secure Code

     int* ptr = (int*)malloc(sizeof(int));
     if (sizeof(MyStruct) == sizeof(int)) { // Ensure types are compatible
     struct MyStruct {
      int field;
     };
     MyStruct* structPtr = reinterpret_cast<MyStruct*>(ptr);
     cout << structPtr->field; // Safe access after validation
     }
     

     This secure code ensures that the casted type is compatible before accessing fields.

Business Impact of Attempt to Access Child of a Non-structure Pointer

Integrity: Data corruption due to incorrect field accesses. Availability: Crashes and restarts caused by memory access errors.

• Financial losses from service disruptions.
• Compliance issues with data integrity standards.
• Reputation damage from system instability.

Attempt to Access Child of a Non-structure Pointer Attack Scenario

1. An attacker identifies code that performs unsafe type conversions.
2. The attacker exploits the lack of validation in field accesses after casting.
3. Memory corruption or crashes occur, leading to service disruptions.

How to Detect Attempt to Access Child of a Non-structure Pointer

Manual Testing

• Review code for explicit type casting operations.
• Ensure proper checks before accessing fields after casting.

  Automated Scanners (SAST / DAST)

  Static analysis tools can detect unsafe type conversions, while dynamic testing is needed to verify runtime behavior.

  PenScan Detection

  PenScan’s ZAP and Nuclei engines actively scan for this vulnerability.

  False Positive Guidance

  False positives may occur if the code uses safe casting practices. Ensure that the casted types are compatible before accessing fields.

How to Fix Attempt to Access Child of a Non-structure Pointer

• Review type casting operations in code.
• Ensure proper checks before accessing fields after casting.
• Use static analysis tools for detection and validation.

Framework-Specific Fixes for Attempt to Access Child of a Non-structure Pointer

C/C++

int* ptr = (int*)malloc(sizeof(int));
if (sizeof(MyStruct) == sizeof(int)) { // Ensure types are compatible
  struct MyStruct {
    int field;
  };
  MyStruct* structPtr = reinterpret_cast<MyStruct*>(ptr);
  cout << structPtr->field; // Safe access after validation
}

This code ensures that the casted type is compatible before accessing fields.

How to Ask AI to Check Your Code for Attempt to Access Child of a Non-structure Pointer

Attempt to Access Child of a Non-structure Pointer Best Practices Checklist

✅ Review type casting operations in code. ✅ Ensure proper checks before accessing fields after casting. ✅ Use static analysis tools for detection and validation.

Attempt to Access Child of a Non-structure Pointer FAQ

How does casting non-structure types lead to memory access errors?

Casting incompatible data types can corrupt adjacent variables in memory, leading to undefined behavior.

What is the impact of Attempt to Access Child of a Non-structure Pointer on system availability?

It may cause crashes or restarts due to memory access violations.

How does Attempt to Access Child of a Non-structure Pointer affect data integrity?

Incorrect type conversions can corrupt data stored in adjacent memory locations.

Can you provide an example of vulnerable code for this weakness?

Casting a non-structure pointer to a structure and accessing fields without proper checks leads to undefined behavior.

What is the best practice to prevent Attempt to Access Child of a Non-structure Pointer in C++?

Use static analysis tools and review type casting operations to ensure compatibility between types.

How can developers detect this issue manually?

Review code for explicit type conversions and verify that they are safe and intended.

What automated scanner engines should be used to find Attempt to Access Child of a Non-structure Pointer vulnerabilities?

Use static analysis tools like ZAP, Nuclei, Wapiti, and Nikto.

Vulnerabilities Related to Attempt to Access Child of a Non-structure Pointer

| CWE | Name | Relationship | |—|—|—| | CWE-704 | Incorrect Type Conversion or Cast (ChildOf) | | CWE-758 | Reliance on Undefined, Unspecified, or Implementation-Defined Behavior (ChildOf) |

References

• MITRE
• NVD

Scan Your Own Site

Manual code review catches what you know to look for. An automated scan catches what you didn’t. Scan your own website using PenScan to find Attempt to Access Child of a Non-structure Pointer and other risks before an attacker does.