CWE · MITRE source
CWE-911Improper Update of Reference Count
The product uses a reference count to manage a resource, but it does not update or incorrectly updates the reference count.
Reference counts can be used when tracking how many objects contain a reference to a particular resource, such as in memory management or garbage collection. When the reference count reaches zero, the resource can be de-allocated or reused because there are no more objects that use it. If the reference count accidentally reaches zero, then the resource might be released too soon, even though it is still in use. If all objects no longer use the resource, but the reference count is not zero, then the resource might not ever be released.
Last updated: 04 July 2026 11:13 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 · 3 mapping(s) from 1 framework(s): ATT&CK 3 (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-2024-43102 | 7.0 | 10.0 | 0.0068 | 2024-09-05 |
CVE-2026-46316 UPD | 7.0 | 9.3 | 0.0018 | 2026-06-09 |
CVE-2022-22195 | 5.5 | 7.5 | 0.0101 | 2022-04-14 |
CVE-2022-29581 | 5.5 | 7.8 | 0.0103 | 2022-05-17 |
CVE-2023-22394 | 5.5 | 7.5 | 0.0062 | 2023-01-13 |
CVE-2022-37012 | 5.5 | 7.5 | 0.0178 | 2023-03-29 |
CVE-2023-5633 | 5.5 | 7.8 | 0.0028 | 2023-10-23 |
CVE-2021-47327 | 5.5 | 7.1 | 0.0026 | 2024-05-21 |
CVE-2024-46972 | 5.5 | 7.8 | 0.0016 | 2024-12-28 |
CVE-2026-46099 UPD | 5.5 | 8.1 | 0.0032 | 2026-05-27 |
CVE-2026-52943 | 5.5 | 7.8 | 0.0018 | 2026-06-24 |
CVE-2022-1678 | 3.5 | 5.9 | 0.0291 | 2022-05-25 |
CVE-2020-11935 | 3.5 | 4.4 | 0.0020 | 2023-04-07 |
CVE-2023-2019 | 3.5 | 4.4 | 0.0034 | 2023-04-24 |
CVE-2024-45783 UPD | 3.5 | 4.4 | 0.0021 | 2025-02-18 |
CVE-2026-42534 UPD | 3.5 | 5.3 | 0.0052 | 2026-05-20 |