VNX-375 – Returning a Mutable Object to an Untrusted Caller

Overview

VNX-375 maps to CWE-375: Returning a Mutable Object to an Untrusted Caller. Detects source patterns associated with CWE-375 (Returning a Mutable Object to an Untrusted Caller). Each finding should be manually reviewed for exploitability in context.

Severity: Low | CWE: CWE-375 | Languages: java

Why This Matters

This weakness class (Returning a Mutable Object to an Untrusted Caller) creates a concrete exploit surface: the rule searches for the concrete source-level patterns most commonly associated with CWE-375 and surfaces them for review. Each finding should be evaluated in context — the rule catches the pattern, not the context.

What Gets Flagged

// FLAGGED: contains 'public List' pattern
public List

Remediation

  1. Review each flagged line and determine whether the pattern represents a real instance of CWE-375 or a false positive.
  2. Replace the flagged construct with a documented safe alternative appropriate to your language and framework.
  3. For confirmed false positives, add a # vulnetix-ignore: VNX-375 comment on the line.
  4. Ensure equivalent test coverage exists to prevent regression.

References