VNX-476 – NULL Pointer Dereference

Overview

VNX-476 maps to CWE-476: NULL Pointer Dereference. Detects source patterns associated with CWE-476 (NULL Pointer Dereference). Each finding should be manually reviewed for exploitability in context.

Severity: Medium | CWE: CWE-476 | Languages: c, cpp, java

Why This Matters

This weakness class (NULL Pointer Dereference) creates a concrete exploit surface: the rule searches for the concrete source-level patterns most commonly associated with CWE-476 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 'return null;' pattern
return null;

// FLAGGED: contains 'malloc(' pattern
malloc(

Remediation

  1. Review each flagged line and determine whether the pattern represents a real instance of CWE-476 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-476 comment on the line.
  4. Ensure equivalent test coverage exists to prevent regression.

References