The product obtains a value from an untrusted source, converts this value to a pointer, and dereferences the resulting pointer.

An attacker can supply a pointer for memory locations that the product is not expecting. If the pointer is dereferenced for a write operation, the attack might allow modification of critical state variables, cause a crash, or execute code. If the dereferencing operation is for a read, then the attack might allow reading of sensitive data, cause a crash, or set a variable to an unexpected value (since the value will be read from an unexpected memory location).
There are several variants of this weakness, including but not necessarily limited to:

The untrusted value is directly invoked as a function call.
In OS kernels or drivers where there is a boundary between "userland" and privileged memory spaces, an untrusted pointer might enter through an API or system call (see CWE-781 for one such example).
Inadvertently accepting the value from an untrusted control sphere when it did not have to be accepted as input at all. This might occur when the code was originally developed to be run by a single user in a non-networked environment, and the code is then ported to or otherwise exposed to a networked environment.

Primary

Resultant

Implementation

Confidentiality
Read Memory
If the untrusted pointer is used in a read operation, an attacker might be able to read sensitive portions of memory.

Availability
DoS: Crash, Exit, or Restart
If the untrusted pointer references a memory location that is not accessible to the product, or points to a location that is "malformed" or larger than expected by a read or write operation, the application may terminate unexpectedly.

Integrity
Confidentiality
Availability
Execute Unauthorized Code or Commands
Modify Memory
If the untrusted pointer is used in a function call, or points to unexpected data in a write operation, then code execution may be possible.

Automated Static Analysis
Automated static analysis, commonly referred to as Static Application Security Testing (SAST), can find some instances of this weakness by analyzing source code (or binary/compiled code) without having to execute it. Typically, this is done by building a model of data flow and control flow, then searching for potentially-vulnerable patterns that connect "sources" (origins of input) with "sinks" (destinations where the data interacts with external components, a lower layer such as the OS, etc.)
High

Automated Dynamic Analysis
Use tools that are integrated during
compilation to insert runtime error-checking mechanisms
related to memory safety errors, such as AddressSanitizer
(ASan) for C/C++ [REF-1518].
Moderate
Crafted inputs are necessary to
reach the code containing the error, such as generated
by fuzzers. Also, these tools may reduce performance,
and they only report the error condition - not the
original mistake that led to the
error.

CVE-2007-5655
message-passing framework interprets values in packets as pointers, causing a crash.
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2007-5655

CVE-2010-2299
labeled as a "type confusion" issue, also referred to as a "stale pointer." However, the bug ID says "contents are simply interpreted as a pointer... renderer ordinarily doesn't supply this pointer directly". The "handle" in the untrusted area is replaced in one function, but not another - thus also, effectively, exposure to wrong sphere (CWE-668).
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2010-2299

CVE-2009-1719
Untrusted dereference using undocumented constructor.
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2009-1719

CVE-2009-1250
An error code is incorrectly checked and interpreted as a pointer, leading to a crash.
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2009-1250

CVE-2009-0311
An untrusted value is obtained from a packet and directly called as a function pointer, leading to code execution.
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2009-0311

CVE-2010-1818
Undocumented attribute in multimedia software allows "unmarshaling" of an untrusted pointer.
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2010-1818

CVE-2010-3189
ActiveX control for security software accepts a parameter that is assumed to be an initialized pointer.
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2010-3189

CVE-2010-1253
Spreadsheet software treats certain record values that lead to "user-controlled pointer" (might be untrusted offset, not untrusted pointer).
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2010-1253

Memory Management

Memory

Allowed
This CWE entry is at the Base level of abstraction, which is a preferred level of abstraction for mapping to the root causes of vulnerabilities.
Carefully read both the name and description to ensure that this mapping is an appropriate fit. Do not try to 'force' a mapping to a lower-level Base/Variant simply to comply with this preferred level of abstraction.

There are close relationships between incorrect pointer dereferences and other weaknesses related to buffer operations. There may not be sufficient community agreement regarding these relationships. Further study is needed to determine when these relationships are chains, composites, perspective/layering, or other types of relationships. As of September 2010, most of the relationships are being captured as chains.
Many weaknesses related to pointer dereferences fall under the general term of "memory corruption" or "memory safety." As of September 2010, there is no commonly-used terminology that covers the lower-level variants.

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2010-09-22
1.10
2010-09-27

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2011-03-29
updated Description

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2011-06-01
updated Common_Consequences

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2011-06-27
updated Related_Attack_Patterns, Relationships

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2011-09-13
updated Relationships, Taxonomy_Mappings

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2012-05-11
updated Relationships

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2017-11-08
updated Taxonomy_Mappings

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2019-06-20
updated Related_Attack_Patterns

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2020-02-24
updated Relationships

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2020-08-20
updated Relationships

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2020-12-10
updated Relationships

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2022-04-28
updated Research_Gaps

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2023-01-31
updated Common_Consequences, Description

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2023-04-27
updated Relationships

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2023-06-29
updated Mapping_Notes

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2025-09-09
4.18
2025-09-09
updated Affected_Resources, Functional_Areas

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2025-12-11
4.19
2025-12-11
updated Applicable_Platforms, Detection_Factors, References, Time_of_Introduction, Weakness_Ordinalities