CWE · MITRE source
CWE-138Improper Neutralization of Special Elements
The product receives input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could be interpreted as control elements or syntactic markers when they are sent to a downstream component.
Most languages and protocols have their own special elements such as characters and reserved words. These special elements can carry control implications. If product does not prevent external control or influence over the inclusion of such special elements, the control flow of the program may be altered from what was intended. For example, both Unix and Windows interpret the symbol < ("less than") as meaning "read input from a file".
Last updated: 09 May 2026 03:25 UTC
NIST 800-53 r5 controls that address this weakness (0)AI
| Control | Title | Family | Why it addresses this CWE |
|---|---|---|---|
| No NIST controls proposed yet. | |||
Top CVEs of this weakness type, ranked by Risk Priority
| CVE | Risk | CVSS | EPSS | Published |
|---|---|---|---|---|
CVE-2023-42117 | 2.4 | 9.8 | 0.0735 | 2024-05-03 |
CVE-2023-7012 | 1.9 | 9.6 | 0.0006 | 2024-07-16 |
CVE-2024-38133 | 1.6 | 7.8 | 0.0033 | 2024-08-13 |
CVE-2022-0024 | 1.5 | 7.2 | 0.0132 | 2022-05-11 |
CVE-2025-5878 | 1.5 | 7.3 | 0.0063 | 2025-06-29 |
CVE-2026-32178 | 1.5 | 7.5 | 0.0004 | 2026-04-14 |
CVE-2026-26129 | 1.5 | 7.5 | 0.0007 | 2026-05-07 |
CVE-2022-2429 | 1.3 | 6.5 | 0.0082 | 2022-09-06 |
CVE-2024-51500 | 1.1 | 5.3 | 0.0009 | 2024-11-04 |
CVE-2026-20009 | 1.1 | 5.3 | 0.0005 | 2026-03-04 |
CVE-2016-0750 | 0.9 | 4.2 | 0.0053 | 2018-09-11 |
CVE-2023-22288 | 0.9 | 4.1 | 0.0063 | 2023-03-20 |
CVE-2025-48939 | 0.8 | 4.2 | 0.0009 | 2025-07-03 |