VNX-911 – Improper Update of Reference Count

Overview

VNX-911 maps to CWE-911: Improper Update of Reference Count. Detects source patterns associated with CWE-911 (Improper Update of Reference Count). Each finding should be manually reviewed for exploitability in context.

Severity: Medium | CWE: CWE-911 | Languages: java

Why This Matters

This weakness class (Improper Update of Reference Count) creates a concrete exploit surface: the rule searches for the concrete source-level patterns most commonly associated with CWE-911 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 'synchronized (' pattern
synchronized (

Remediation

  1. Review each flagged line and determine whether the pattern represents a real instance of CWE-911 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-911 comment on the line.
  4. Ensure equivalent test coverage exists to prevent regression.

References