CWE · MITRE source
CWE-617Reachable Assertion
The product contains an assert() or similar statement that can be triggered by an attacker, which leads to an application exit or other behavior that is more severe than necessary.
While assertion is good for catching logic errors and reducing the chances of reaching more serious vulnerability conditions, it can still lead to a denial of service. For example, if a server handles multiple simultaneous connections, and an assert() occurs in one single connection that causes all other connections to be dropped, this is a reachable assertion that leads to a denial of service.
Last updated: 20 August 2026 20:22 UTC
Control responseHuman-reviewed
Answering this weakness across the control lifecycle, from our framework cross-walks.
NIST 800-53 r5 controls that address this weakness (0)AI-assisted
| Control | Title | Family | Why it addresses this CWE |
|---|---|---|---|
| No NIST controls proposed yet. | |||
Top CVEs of this weakness type, ranked by Risk Priority
| CVE | Risk | CVSS | EPSS | Published |
|---|---|---|---|---|
CVE-2020-8617 UPD | 8.5 | 7.5 | 0.9342 | 2020-05-19 |
CVE-2006-5779 UPD | 8.4 | 7.5 | 0.7589 | 2006-11-07 |
CVE-2020-36222 UPD | 8.4 | 7.5 | 0.7774 | 2021-01-26 |
CVE-2021-27212 UPD | 8.2 | 7.5 | 0.6415 | 2021-02-14 |
CVE-2018-5740 UPD | 8.1 | 7.5 | 0.5962 | 2019-01-16 |
CVE-2016-8864 UPD | 7.6 | 7.5 | 0.3873 | 2016-11-02 |
CVE-2019-9795 UPD | 7.6 | 9.8 | 0.0170 | 2019-04-26 |
CVE-2018-12543 UPD | 7.5 | 7.5 | 0.3601 | 2018-11-15 |
CVE-2020-3615 UPD | 7.4 | 9.8 | 0.0075 | 2020-06-02 |
CVE-2024-35884 UPD | 7.4 | 9.8 | 0.0068 | 2024-05-19 |
CVE-2022-3488 UPD | 7.1 | 7.5 | 0.1919 | 2023-01-26 |
CVE-2023-49286 UPD | 7.1 | 8.6 | 0.1035 | 2023-12-04 |
CVE-2020-12417 UPD | 7.0 | 8.8 | 0.0269 | 2020-07-09 |
CVE-2022-3924 UPD | 7.0 | 7.5 | 0.1611 | 2023-01-26 |
CVE-2023-28425 UPD | 7.0 | 5.5 | 0.5498 | 2023-03-20 |
CVE-2017-7478 UPD | 6.9 | 7.5 | 0.1389 | 2017-05-15 |
CVE-2006-4095 UPD | 6.8 | 7.5 | 0.1176 | 2006-09-06 |
CVE-2011-3596 UPD | 6.8 | 7.5 | 0.1105 | 2019-11-26 |
CVE-2020-6617 UPD | 6.8 | 8.8 | 0.0114 | 2020-01-08 |
CVE-2020-6619 UPD | 6.8 | 8.8 | 0.0114 | 2020-01-08 |
CVE-2020-6623 UPD | 6.8 | 8.8 | 0.0145 | 2020-01-08 |
CVE-2020-15670 UPD | 6.8 | 8.8 | 0.0108 | 2020-10-01 |
CVE-2020-36230 UPD | 6.8 | 7.5 | 0.1229 | 2021-01-26 |
CVE-2021-25215 UPD | 6.8 | 7.5 | 0.1139 | 2021-04-29 |
CVE-2026-27809 | 6.8 | 9.1 | 0.0041 | 2026-02-26 |