CWE-749: Exposed Dangerous Method or Function

low-risk

The product provides an Applications Programming Interface (API) or similar interface for interaction with external actors, but the interface includes a dangerous method or function that is not properly restricted.

Abstraction: Base

Common Consequences

Integrity Gain Privileges or Assume Identity

Detection Methods

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.)

Real-World Examples (10)

CVE CVSS EPSS KEV
CVE-2010-0738 5.3 91.3% Y
CVE-2023-27363 7.8 81.0%
CVE-2010-1428 7.5 67.6% Y
CVE-2023-38124 8.8 53.8%
CVE-2025-26651 6.5 39.8%
CVE-2018-10931 9.8 36.0%
CVE-2018-10931 9.8 36.0%
CVE-2021-34996 8.8 20.5%
CVE-2021-42128 9.8 16.9%
CVE-2023-39470 7.2 15.7%
9
/ 100
low-risk
Active Threat 7/50 · Minimal
Exploit Availability 2/50 · Minimal