168 – Initialize variables explicitly

Summary

All the variables in the source code must be explicitly initialized.

Description

Uninitialized variables can lead to undefined behavior, unpredictable outcomes, and potential security vulnerabilities. Explicit initialization helps to mitigate the risk of using variables before they have been assigned with a valid value, reducing the likelihood of bugs and vulnerabilities, such as buffer overflows or memory corruption.

Supported In

Advanced: True

References

• CWE-456. Missing initialization of a variable
• CWE-457. Use of uninitialized variable
• CERTC-EXP33-C. Do not read uninitialized memory
• MITRE-M1013. Application developer guidance
• ISO27002-8_28. Secure coding
• NISTSSDF-PW_5_1. Archive and protect each software release
• OSAMM-ST. Security Testing
• C2M2-9_4_d. Implement software security for cybersecurity architecture
• ISO27001-8_28. Secure coding

Weaknesses

• 138 – Inappropriate coding practices
• 432 – Inappropriate coding practices - relative path command

Last updated

2024/02/09