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Insecure exceptions - NullPointerException

Description​

Use is made of functions that perform catch to Nullpointer exceptions, which can cause unexpected behavior in the system.

Impact​

  • Decrease application performance.
  • Cause a possible denial of service.

Recommendation​

The catch to NullpointerException should only be used when test class entries need to be tested.

Threat​

Unauthorized attacker from the Internet.

Expected Remediation Time​

⌚ 15 minutes.

Score​

Default score using CVSS 3.1. It may change depending on the context of the vulnerability.

Base​

  • Attack vector: N
  • Attack complexity: H
  • Privileges required: N
  • User interaction: N
  • Scope: U
  • Confidentiality: N
  • Integrity: N
  • Availability: L

Temporal​

  • Exploit code madurity: U
  • Remediation level: X
  • Report confidence: X

Result​

  • Vector string: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L/E:U/RL:X/RC:X
  • Score:
    • Base: 3.7
    • Temporal: 3.4
  • Severity:
    • Base: Low
    • Temporal: Low

Code Examples​

Compliant code​

All exceptions in the code are correctly handled and accounted for

public class SimpleTesting{
  static String str;
  public static void main(String[] args) {
    try {
      //Code that should generate an exception with an speficied message
    }catch(Exception e) {
      //Handle specified exception
    }
  }
}

Non compliant code​

The application includes code that could potentially generate a null pointer exception

public class SimpleTesting{
  static String str;
  public static void main(String[] args) {
    try {
      //Code that could generate a nullPointerException
    }catch(NullPointerException e) {
      System.out.println("Null Pointer: "+e.getMessage());
    }
  }
}

Requirements​

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