Weakness ID: 572

Vulnerability Mapping: ALLOWED This CWE ID may be used to map to real-world vulnerabilities
Abstraction: Variant Variant - a weakness that is linked to a certain type of product, typically involving a specific language or technology. More specific than a Base weakness. Variant level weaknesses typically describe issues in terms of 3 to 5 of the following dimensions: behavior, property, technology, language, and resource.

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Description

The product calls a thread's run() method instead of calling start(), which causes the code to run in the thread of the caller instead of the callee.

Extended Description

In most cases a direct call to a Thread object's run() method is a bug. The programmer intended to begin a new thread of control, but accidentally called run() instead of start(), so the run() method will execute in the caller's thread of control.

Common Consequences

This table specifies different individual consequences associated with the weakness. The Scope identifies the application security area that is violated, while the Impact describes the negative technical impact that arises if an adversary succeeds in exploiting this weakness. The Likelihood provides information about how likely the specific consequence is expected to be seen relative to the other consequences in the list. For example, there may be high likelihood that a weakness will be exploited to achieve a certain impact, but a low likelihood that it will be exploited to achieve a different impact.

Impact	Details
Quality Degradation; Varies by Context	Scope: Other

Potential Mitigations

Phase(s)	Mitigation
Implementation	Use the start() method instead of the run() method.

Relationships

This table shows the weaknesses and high level categories that are related to this weakness. These relationships are defined as ChildOf, ParentOf, MemberOf and give insight to similar items that may exist at higher and lower levels of abstraction. In addition, relationships such as PeerOf and CanAlsoBe are defined to show similar weaknesses that the user may want to explore.

Relevant to the view "Research Concepts" (View-1000)

Nature	Type	ID	Name
ChildOf	Base - a weakness that is still mostly independent of a resource or technology, but with sufficient details to provide specific methods for detection and prevention. Base level weaknesses typically describe issues in terms of 2 or 3 of the following dimensions: behavior, property, technology, language, and resource.	821	Incorrect Synchronization

Modes Of Introduction

The different Modes of Introduction provide information about how and when this weakness may be introduced. The Phase identifies a point in the life cycle at which introduction may occur, while the Note provides a typical scenario related to introduction during the given phase.

Phase	Note
Implementation

Applicable Platforms

This listing shows possible areas for which the given weakness could appear. These may be for specific named Languages, Operating Systems, Architectures, Paradigms, Technologies, or a class of such platforms. The platform is listed along with how frequently the given weakness appears for that instance.

Languages

Java (Undetermined Prevalence)

Demonstrative Examples

Example 1

The following excerpt from a Java program mistakenly calls run() instead of start().

(bad code)

Example Language: Java

Thread thr = new Thread() {

public void run() {

...

}

};

thr.run();

Weakness Ordinalities

Ordinality	Description
Primary	(where the weakness exists independent of other weaknesses)

Detection Methods

Method	Details
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.) Effectiveness: High

Method

Details

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.)

Effectiveness: High

Affected Resources

System Process

Memberships

This MemberOf Relationships table shows additional CWE Categories and Views that reference this weakness as a member. This information is often useful in understanding where a weakness fits within the context of external information sources.

Nature	Type	ID	Name
MemberOf	Category - a CWE entry that contains a set of other entries that share a common characteristic.	854	The CERT Oracle Secure Coding Standard for Java (2011) Chapter 11 - Thread APIs (THI)
MemberOf	Category - a CWE entry that contains a set of other entries that share a common characteristic.	1001	SFP Secondary Cluster: Use of an Improper API
MemberOf	Category - a CWE entry that contains a set of other entries that share a common characteristic.	1144	SEI CERT Oracle Secure Coding Standard for Java - Guidelines 10. Thread APIs (THI)
MemberOf	Category - a CWE entry that contains a set of other entries that share a common characteristic.	1401	Comprehensive Categorization: Concurrency

Vulnerability Mapping Notes

Usage	ALLOWED (this CWE ID may be used to map to real-world vulnerabilities)
Reason	Acceptable-Use
Rationale	This CWE entry is at the Variant level of abstraction, which is a preferred level of abstraction for mapping to the root causes of vulnerabilities.
Comments	Carefully read both the name and description to ensure that this mapping is an appropriate fit. Do not try to 'force' a mapping to a lower-level Base/Variant simply to comply with this preferred level of abstraction.

Taxonomy Mappings

Mapped Taxonomy Name	Node ID	Fit	Mapped Node Name
The CERT Oracle Secure Coding Standard for Java (2011)	THI00-J		Do not invoke Thread.run()
Software Fault Patterns	SFP3		Use of an improper API

Content History

Submissions
Submission Date	Submitter	Organization
2006-12-15 (CWE Draft 5, 2006-12-15)	CWE Community
2006-12-15 (CWE Draft 5, 2006-12-15)	Submitted by members of the CWE community to extend early CWE versions
Modifications
Modification Date	Modifier	Organization
2025-12-11 (CWE 4.19, 2025-12-11)	CWE Content Team	MITRE
2025-12-11 (CWE 4.19, 2025-12-11)	updated Weakness_Ordinalities
2023-06-29	CWE Content Team	MITRE
2023-06-29	updated Mapping_Notes
2023-04-27	CWE Content Team	MITRE
2023-04-27	updated Detection_Factors, Relationships
2023-01-31	CWE Content Team	MITRE
2023-01-31	updated Description
2020-02-24	CWE Content Team	MITRE
2020-02-24	updated Relationships
2019-01-03	CWE Content Team	MITRE
2019-01-03	updated Relationships, Taxonomy_Mappings
2017-11-08	CWE Content Team	MITRE
2017-11-08	updated Relationships
2014-07-30	CWE Content Team	MITRE
2014-07-30	updated Relationships, Taxonomy_Mappings
2012-10-30	CWE Content Team	MITRE
2012-10-30	updated Potential_Mitigations
2012-05-11	CWE Content Team	MITRE
2012-05-11	updated Relationships, Taxonomy_Mappings
2011-06-27	CWE Content Team	MITRE
2011-06-27	updated Common_Consequences
2011-06-01	CWE Content Team	MITRE
2011-06-01	updated Common_Consequences, Relationships, Taxonomy_Mappings
2010-09-27	CWE Content Team	MITRE
2010-09-27	updated Relationships
2009-07-27	CWE Content Team	MITRE
2009-07-27	updated Description, Other_Notes
2009-05-27	CWE Content Team	MITRE
2009-05-27	updated Demonstrative_Examples
2008-09-08	CWE Content Team	MITRE
2008-09-08	updated Relationships, Other_Notes
2008-07-01	Eric Dalci	Cigital
2008-07-01	updated Potential_Mitigations, Time_of_Introduction
Previous Entry Names
Change Date	Previous Entry Name
2008-04-11	Call to Thread.run()


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CWE-572: Call to Thread run() instead of start()

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