The program declares an array public, final, and static, which
is not sufficient to prevent the array's contents from being
modified.
Extended Description
Because arrays are mutable objects, the final constraint requires that the
array object itself be assigned only once, but makes no guarantees about the
values of the array elements. Since the array is public, a malicious program
can change the values stored in the array. As such, in most cases an array
declared public, final and static is a bug.
Time of Introduction
Implementation
Applicable Platforms
Languages
Java
Demonstrative Examples
Example 1
The following Java Applet code mistakenly declares an array public,
final and static.
(Bad Code)
Java
public final class urlTool extends Applet {
public final static URL[] urls;
...
}
Potential Mitigations
Phase
Description
In most situations the array should be made private.
Background Details
Mobile code, in this case a Java Applet, is code that is transmitted
across a network and executed on a remote machine. Because mobile code
developers have little if any control of the environment in which their code
will execute, special security concerns become relevant. One of the biggest
environmental threats results from the risk that the mobile code will run
side-by-side with other, potentially malicious, mobile code. Because all of
the popular web browsers execute code from multiple sources together in the
same JVM, many of the security guidelines for mobile code are focused on
preventing manipulation of your objects' state and behavior by adversaries
who have access to the same virtual machine where your program is
running.
Weakness Ordinalities
Ordinality
Description
Primary
(where the
weakness exists independent of other weaknesses)
Description
