CWE · MITRE source
CWE-590Free of Memory not on the Heap
The product calls free() on a pointer to memory that was not allocated using associated heap allocation functions such as malloc(), calloc(), or realloc().
When free() is called on an invalid pointer, the program's memory management data structures may become corrupted. This corruption can cause the program to crash or, in some circumstances, an attacker may be able to cause free() to operate on controllable memory locations to modify critical program variables or execute code.
Last updated: 04 July 2026 00:28 UTC
Cumulative inbound coverage
How completely the frameworks we cross-walk collectively cover this — the verdict is the strongest single mapping (overlapping partials are not summed); breadth shows the corroboration behind it.
Collective: partial · 1 mapping(s) from 1 framework(s): ATT&CK 1 (partial)
NIST 800-53 r5 controls that address this weakness (0)AI
| Control | Title | Family | Why it addresses this CWE |
|---|---|---|---|
| No NIST controls proposed yet. | |||
MITRE ATT&CK techniques this weakness enables
Our own two-way CWE↔ATT&CK cross-walk — a direct mapping with no public source (the CWE→CAPEC→ATT&CK chain leaves most top weaknesses, incl. XSS and SQLi, mapped to nothing). Drafted by Grok and spot-checked by Claude Opus 4.8.
Direction: ← other covers this;
→ this covers other (F/M/P = full / mostly /
partial).
Top CVEs of this weakness type, ranked by Risk Priority
| CVE | Risk | CVSS | EPSS | Published |
|---|---|---|---|---|
CVE-2020-6016 | 7.0 | 9.8 | 0.0575 | 2020-11-18 |
CVE-2021-42377 | 7.0 | 9.8 | 0.0338 | 2021-11-15 |
CVE-2025-32911 UPD | 7.0 | 9.0 | 0.0080 | 2025-04-15 |
CVE-2021-3939 | 5.5 | 7.8 | 0.0035 | 2021-11-17 |
CVE-2022-31625 | 5.5 | 8.1 | 0.0344 | 2022-06-16 |
CVE-2022-31627 | 5.5 | 7.7 | 0.0166 | 2022-07-28 |
CVE-2023-25565 | 5.5 | 7.5 | 0.0110 | 2023-02-14 |
CVE-2023-22291 | 5.5 | 7.0 | 0.0045 | 2023-04-05 |
CVE-2023-42459 | 5.5 | 8.6 | 0.0083 | 2023-10-16 |
CVE-2025-42994 UPD | 5.5 | 7.5 | 0.0036 | 2025-06-10 |
CVE-2025-42995 UPD | 5.5 | 7.5 | 0.0036 | 2025-06-10 |
CVE-2025-54899 | 5.5 | 7.8 | 0.0054 | 2025-09-09 |
CVE-2026-20810 | 5.5 | 7.8 | 0.0047 | 2026-01-13 |
CVE-2021-39218 | 3.5 | 6.3 | 0.0029 | 2021-09-17 |
CVE-2023-31973 | 3.5 | 5.5 | 0.0031 | 2023-05-09 |
CVE-2025-5899 UPD | 3.5 | 5.3 | 0.0014 | 2025-06-09 |
CVE-2025-42996 UPD | 3.5 | 5.6 | 0.0021 | 2025-06-10 |
CVE-2026-47328 UPD | 3.5 | 6.1 | 0.0009 | 2026-05-28 |
CVE-2025-7006 | 3.5 | 5.5 | 0.0011 | 2026-06-12 |