CWE-1105 Base Incomplete

Insufficient Encapsulation of Machine-Dependent Functionality

This weakness occurs when an application relies on hardware-specific or platform-dependent features but fails to isolate that code from the rest of the system. This poor separation creates tight…

Definition

What is CWE-1105?

This weakness occurs when an application relies on hardware-specific or platform-dependent features but fails to isolate that code from the rest of the system. This poor separation creates tight coupling between the core logic and low-level machine details.
When machine-dependent code—like direct hardware manipulation, processor-specific instructions, or OS-native calls—is scattered throughout an application, it creates a maintenance burden. Porting the software to a new architecture or platform becomes a complex, error-prone task of finding and updating every embedded dependency. This directly slows down development cycles and makes applying security patches more difficult. Indirectly, this complexity becomes a security liability. The increased effort to maintain or migrate the code makes it harder to identify and fix vulnerabilities in a timely manner. Developers are more likely to introduce flaws when modifying this entangled code, and the lack of clear boundaries can obscure security-critical logic. Properly encapsulating these dependencies behind clean interfaces is essential for long-term security and maintainability.
Real-world impact

Real-world CVEs caused by CWE-1105

No public CVE references are linked to this CWE in MITRE's catalog yet.

How attackers exploit it

Step-by-step attacker path

  1. 1

    Identify a code path that handles untrusted input without validation.

  2. 2

    Craft a payload that exercises the unsafe behavior — injection, traversal, overflow, or logic abuse.

  3. 3

    Deliver the payload through a normal request and observe the application's reaction.

  4. 4

    Iterate until the response leaks data, executes attacker code, or escalates privileges.

Vulnerable code example

Vulnerable C

In this example function, the memory address of variable b is derived by adding 1 to the address of variable a. This derived address is then used to assign the value 0 to b.

Vulnerable C 
void example() {
  	char a;
  	char b;
  	*(&a + 1) = 0;
  }
Secure code example

Secure pseudo

Secure pseudo 
// Validate, sanitize, or use a safe API before reaching the sink.
function handleRequest(input) {
  const safe = validateAndEscape(input);
  return executeWithGuards(safe);
}
What changed: the unsafe sink is replaced (or the input is validated/escaped) so the same payload no longer triggers the weakness.
Prevention checklist

How to prevent CWE-1105

  • Architecture Use safe-by-default frameworks and APIs that prevent the unsafe pattern from being expressible.
  • Implementation Validate input at trust boundaries; use allowlists, not denylists.
  • Implementation Apply the principle of least privilege to credentials, file paths, and runtime permissions.
  • Testing Cover this weakness in CI: SAST rules + targeted unit tests for the data flow.
  • Operation Monitor logs for the runtime signals listed in the next section.
Detection signals

How to detect CWE-1105

SAST High

Run static analysis (SAST) on the codebase looking for the unsafe pattern in the data flow.

DAST Moderate

Run dynamic application security testing against the live endpoint.

Runtime Moderate

Watch runtime logs for unusual exception traces, malformed input, or authorization bypass attempts.

Code review Moderate

Code review: flag any new code that handles input from this surface without using the validated framework helpers.

Plexicus auto-fix

Plexicus auto-detects CWE-1105 and opens a fix PR in under 60 seconds.

Codex Remedium scans every commit, identifies this exact weakness, and ships a reviewer-ready pull request with the patch. No tickets. No hand-offs.

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Frequently asked questions

Frequently asked questions

What is CWE-1105?

This weakness occurs when an application relies on hardware-specific or platform-dependent features but fails to isolate that code from the rest of the system. This poor separation creates tight coupling between the core logic and low-level machine details.

How serious is CWE-1105?

MITRE has not published a likelihood-of-exploit rating for this weakness. Treat it as medium-impact until your threat model proves otherwise.

What languages or platforms are affected by CWE-1105?

MITRE has not specified affected platforms for this CWE — it can apply across most application stacks.

How can I prevent CWE-1105?

Use safe-by-default frameworks, validate untrusted input at trust boundaries, and apply the principle of least privilege. Cover the data-flow signature in CI with SAST.

How does Plexicus detect and fix CWE-1105?

Plexicus's SAST engine matches the data-flow signature for CWE-1105 on every commit. When a match is found, our Codex Remedium agent opens a fix PR with the corrected code, tests, and a one-line summary for the reviewer.

Where can I learn more about CWE-1105?

MITRE publishes the canonical definition at https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/1105.html. You can also reference OWASP and NIST documentation for adjacent guidance.

Related weaknesses

Weaknesses related to CWE-1105

CWE-758 Parent

Reliance on Undefined, Unspecified, or Implementation-Defined Behavior

This weakness occurs when software depends on specific behaviors of an API, data structure, or system component that are not formally…

CWE-1038 Sibling

Insecure Automated Optimizations

This vulnerability occurs when software uses automated tools to optimize code for performance or efficiency, but those optimizations…

CWE-1102 Sibling

Reliance on Machine-Dependent Data Representation

This weakness occurs when software directly depends on how a specific machine, processor, or operating system represents data in memory.…

CWE-1103 Sibling

Use of Platform-Dependent Third Party Components

This weakness occurs when software depends on third-party libraries or components that behave differently or lack support across various…

CWE-474 Sibling

Use of Function with Inconsistent Implementations

This vulnerability occurs when code relies on a function whose behavior changes across different operating systems or versions, leading to…

CWE-562 Sibling

Return of Stack Variable Address

This vulnerability occurs when a function returns a pointer to its own local variable. Since that variable's memory is on the stack, the…

CWE-587 Sibling

Assignment of a Fixed Address to a Pointer

This vulnerability occurs when code explicitly assigns a hardcoded memory address to a pointer, instead of using a dynamic or null value.

CWE-588 Sibling

Attempt to Access Child of a Non-structure Pointer

This vulnerability occurs when code incorrectly treats a pointer to a basic data type (like an integer) as if it points to a structured…

CWE-188 Child

Reliance on Data/Memory Layout

This vulnerability occurs when software incorrectly assumes how data is structured in memory or within network packets, leading to…

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Further reading

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