CWE · MITRE source
CWE-690Unchecked Return Value to NULL Pointer Dereference
The product does not check for an error after calling a function that can return with a NULL pointer if the function fails, which leads to a resultant NULL pointer dereference.
While unchecked return value weaknesses are not limited to returns of NULL pointers (see the examples in CWE-252), functions often return NULL to indicate an error status. When this error condition is not checked, a NULL pointer dereference can occur.
Last updated: 15 October 2026 14:21 UTC
Control responseHuman-reviewed
Answering this weakness across the control lifecycle, from our framework cross-walks.
NIST 800-53 r5 controls PROPOSED for this weakness (0)AI-assisted
These are model PROPOSALS, not graded mappings. They come
from controls_to_cwe_proposals, which carries no grade field at
all; across the CWE pages 1,540 of 1,722 such associations (89%) have never
been graded by anything. The heading said “address” until
2026-09-29, which asserted a relationship the data does not carry.
Graded cross-walks are on the framework map, not here.
| 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-2022-20682 UPD | 6.5 | 8.6 | 0.0135 | 2022-04-15 |
CVE-2020-6095 UPD | 6.3 | 7.5 | 0.0294 | 2020-03-27 |
CVE-2020-13582 UPD | 6.3 | 7.5 | 0.0261 | 2021-01-26 |
CVE-2020-1648 UPD | 6.1 | 7.5 | 0.0128 | 2020-07-17 |
CVE-2022-41957 UPD | 6.1 | 7.5 | 0.0113 | 2022-11-28 |
CVE-2022-22231 UPD | 6.0 | 7.5 | 0.0073 | 2022-10-18 |
CVE-2022-39381 UPD | 6.0 | 7.5 | 0.0078 | 2022-11-02 |
CVE-2024-23085 UPD | 5.9 | 7.5 | 0.0053 | 2024-04-08 |
CVE-2026-24404 | 5.5 | 7.1 | 0.0046 | 2026-01-24 |
CVE-2026-24409 | 5.4 | 7.1 | 0.0036 | 2026-01-24 |
CVE-2026-24410 | 5.4 | 7.1 | 0.0036 | 2026-01-24 |
CVE-2026-24411 | 5.4 | 7.1 | 0.0037 | 2026-01-24 |
CVE-2026-21689 | 5.0 | 6.5 | 0.0033 | 2026-01-07 |
CVE-2024-23915 | 4.5 | 5.3 | 0.0055 | 2024-09-18 |
CVE-2024-23916 | 4.5 | 5.3 | 0.0055 | 2024-09-18 |
CVE-2024-31164 | 4.5 | 5.3 | 0.0055 | 2024-09-18 |
CVE-2024-31165 | 4.5 | 5.3 | 0.0055 | 2024-09-18 |
CVE-2024-31167 | 4.5 | 5.3 | 0.0055 | 2024-09-18 |
CVE-2024-31175 | 4.5 | 5.3 | 0.0055 | 2024-09-18 |
CVE-2024-31182 | 4.5 | 5.3 | 0.0044 | 2024-09-18 |
CVE-2024-31185 | 4.5 | 5.3 | 0.0044 | 2024-09-18 |
CVE-2024-31196 | 4.4 | 5.3 | 0.0042 | 2024-09-18 |
CVE-2026-24160 UPD | 4.4 | 5.5 | 0.0047 | 2026-05-20 |
CVE-2022-22233 UPD | 4.2 | 5.5 | 0.0018 | 2022-10-18 |
CVE-2026-21496 | 4.2 | 5.5 | 0.0019 | 2026-01-07 |