CWE-690: Unchecked Return Value to NULL Pointer Dereference

Compound

The product does not check for an error after calling a function that can return with a NULL pointer if the function fails, which leads to a resultant NULL pointer dereference.

While unchecked return value weaknesses are not limited to returns of NULL pointers (see the examples in CWE-252), functions often return NULL to indicate an error status. When this error condition is not checked, a NULL pointer dereference can occur.

Consequences

Availability: DoS: Crash, Exit, or Restart
Integrity, Confidentiality, Availability: Execute Unauthorized Code or Commands, Read Memory, Modify Memory

Recent advisories

CVE-2026-76418 — A vulnerability in the Remote Access SSL VPN service of Cisco Secure Firewall Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) Software and Cisco Secure Firewall Threat…

All advisories for CWE-690

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