The product implements a protection mechanism that relies on a list of inputs (or properties of inputs) that are explicitly allowed by policy because the inputs are assumed to be safe, but the list is too permissive - that is, it allows an input that is unsafe, leading to resultant weaknesses.

Primary

Allowlist / Allow List
This is used by CWE and CAPEC instead of other commonly-used terms. Its counterpart is denylist.

Safelist / Safe List
This is often used by security tools such as firewalls, email or web gateways, proxies, etc.

Whitelist / White List
This term is frequently used, but usage has been declining as organizations have started to adopt other terms.

Implementation

Access Control
Bypass Protection Mechanism

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

CVE-2019-12799
chain: bypass of untrusted deserialization issue (CWE-502) by using an assumed-trusted class (CWE-183)
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2019-12799

CVE-2019-10458
sandbox bypass using a method that is on an allowlist
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2019-10458

CVE-2017-1000095
sandbox bypass using unsafe methods that are on an allowlist
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2017-1000095

CVE-2019-10458
CI/CD pipeline feature has unsafe elements in allowlist, allowing bypass of script restrictions
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2019-10458

CVE-2017-1000095
Default allowlist includes unsafe methods, allowing bypass of sandbox
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2017-1000095

Permissive Whitelist

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.

PLOVER
2006-07-19
Draft 3
2006-07-19

Eric Dalci
Cigital
2008-07-01
updated Potential_Mitigations, Time_of_Introduction

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2008-09-08
updated Description, Relationships, Taxonomy_Mappings, Weakness_Ordinalities

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2009-03-10
updated Relationships

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2009-07-27
updated Potential_Mitigations

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2010-02-16
updated Relationships

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2011-03-29
updated Potential_Mitigations

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2011-06-01
updated Common_Consequences

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2012-05-11
updated References, Relationships

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2013-02-21
updated Potential_Mitigations

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2014-06-23
updated Relationships

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2014-07-30
updated Relationships

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2017-11-08
updated Applicable_Platforms

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2019-01-03
updated Related_Attack_Patterns

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2019-06-20
updated Relationships

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2020-02-24
updated Alternate_Terms, Description, Observed_Examples, Relationships

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2020-06-25
updated Alternate_Terms, Observed_Examples

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2021-10-28
updated Relationships

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2023-04-27
updated Detection_Factors, Relationships

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2023-06-29
updated Mapping_Notes

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2025-12-11
4.19
2025-12-11
updated Applicable_Platforms, Relationships

Permissive Whitelist