VNX-59 – Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following')

Overview

VNX-59 maps to CWE-59: Improper Link Resolution Before File Access (‘Link Following’). Detects source patterns associated with CWE-59 (Improper Link Resolution Before File Access (‘Link Following’)). Each finding should be manually reviewed for exploitability in context.

Severity: High | CWE: CWE-59 | Languages: c, cpp, go, python

Why This Matters

This weakness class (Improper Link Resolution Before File Access (‘Link Following’)) creates a concrete exploit surface: the rule searches for the concrete source-level patterns most commonly associated with CWE-59 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 'open(' pattern
open(

// FLAGGED: contains 'os.Readlink(' pattern
os.Readlink(

// FLAGGED: contains 'os.readlink(' pattern
os.readlink(

Remediation

  1. Review each flagged line and determine whether the pattern represents a real instance of CWE-59 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-59 comment on the line.
  4. Ensure equivalent test coverage exists to prevent regression.

References