The product defines an IOCTL that uses METHOD_NEITHER for I/O, but it does not validate or incorrectly validates the addresses that are provided.
When an IOCTL uses the METHOD_NEITHER option for I/O control, it is the responsibility of the IOCTL to validate the addresses that have been supplied to it. If validation is missing or incorrect, attackers can supply arbitrary memory addresses, leading to code execution or a denial of service.

Primary

Implementation

Integrity
Availability
Confidentiality
Modify Memory
Read Memory
Execute Unauthorized Code or Commands
DoS: Crash, Exit, or Restart
An attacker may be able to access memory that belongs to another process or user. If the attacker can control the contents that the IOCTL writes, it may lead to code execution at high privilege levels. At the least, a crash can occur.

Implementation
If METHOD_NEITHER is required for the IOCTL, then ensure that all user-space addresses are properly validated before they are first accessed. The ProbeForRead and ProbeForWrite routines are available for this task. Also properly protect and manage the user-supplied buffers, since the I/O Manager does not do this when METHOD_NEITHER is being used. See References.

Architecture and Design
If possible, avoid using METHOD_NEITHER in the IOCTL and select methods that effectively control the buffer size, such as METHOD_BUFFERED, METHOD_IN_DIRECT, or METHOD_OUT_DIRECT.

Architecture and Design
Implementation
If the IOCTL is part of a driver that is only intended to be accessed by trusted users, then use proper access control for the associated device or device namespace. See References.

CVE-2006-2373
Driver for file-sharing and messaging protocol allows attackers to execute arbitrary code.
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2006-2373

CVE-2009-0686
Anti-virus product does not validate addresses, allowing attackers to gain SYSTEM privileges.
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2009-0686

CVE-2009-0824
DVD software allows attackers to cause a crash.
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2009-0824

CVE-2008-5724
Personal firewall allows attackers to gain SYSTEM privileges.
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2008-5724

CVE-2007-5756
chain: device driver for packet-capturing software allows access to an unintended IOCTL with resultant array index error.
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2007-5756

Allowed
This CWE entry is at the Variant 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.

Because IOCTL functionality is typically performing low-level actions and closely interacts with the operating system, this weakness may only appear in code that is written in low-level languages.

While this type of issue has been known since 2006, it is probably still under-studied and under-reported. Most of the focus has been on high-profile software and security products, but other kinds of system software also use drivers. Since exploitation requires the development of custom code, it requires some skill to find this weakness.
Because exploitation typically requires local privileges, it might not be a priority for active attackers. However, remote exploitation may be possible for software such as device drivers. Even when remote vectors are not available, it may be useful as the final privilege-escalation step in multi-stage remote attacks against application-layer software, or as the primary attack by a local user on a multi-user system.

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2009-07-15
1.5
2009-07-27

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2009-12-28
updated Common_Consequences, Potential_Mitigations, References, Time_of_Introduction

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2010-09-27
updated Relationships

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2011-06-01
updated Common_Consequences

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2017-11-08
updated Applicable_Platforms, Likelihood_of_Exploit, References

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2020-02-24
updated Relationships

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2020-06-25
updated Relationships

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2023-01-31
updated Description

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2023-04-27
updated References, Relationships, Time_of_Introduction

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2023-06-29
updated Mapping_Notes

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2025-12-11
4.19
2025-12-11
updated Weakness_Ordinalities