CWE-156 5 CVEs MITRE definition ↗

CWE-156: Improper Neutralization of Whitespace

Overview

CWE-156 (Improper Neutralization of Whitespace) documents a weakness type used across vulnerability databases and security assessments. Use the sections below for definition, context, and mapped CVEs.

Security impact
Security impact: Depends on product and context; use CVE records, severity scores, and MITRE guidance to prioritize.

Description

The product receives input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could be interpreted as whitespace when they are sent to a downstream component.

Applicable platforms

Kind Name Class Prevalence OS / CPE
language Not Language-Specific Undetermined

Related CVEs in this database

These CVEs are mapped to this weakness in this database and kept for traceability and search.

CVE Published Summary
CVE-2025-55127 2025-11-20 HackerOne community member Dao Hoang Anh (yoyomiski) has reported an improper neutralization of whitespace in the username when adding new users. A username with leading or trailing whitespace could b…
CVE-2025-55001 2025-08-09 OpenBao exists to provide a software solution to manage, store, and distribute sensitive data including secrets, certificates, and keys. In versions 2.3.1 and below, OpenBao allowed the assignment of …
CVE-2025-55000 2025-08-09 OpenBao exists to provide a software solution to manage, store, and distribute sensitive data including secrets, certificates, and keys. In versions 0.1.0 through 2.3.1, OpenBao's TOTP secrets engine …
CVE-2025-6013 2025-08-06 Vault and Vault Enterprise’s (“Vault”) ldap auth method may not have correctly enforced MFA if username_as_alias was set to true and a user had multiple CNs that are equal but with leading or trailing…
CVE-2025-6014 2025-08-01 Vault and Vault Enterprise’s (“Vault”) TOTP Secrets Engine code validation endpoint is susceptible to code reuse within its validity period. Fixed in Vault Community Edition 1.20.1 and Vault Enterpris…

Previous names

  • Whitespace (2008-01-30)
  • Failure to Remove Whitespace (2008-04-11)
  • Failure to Sanitize Whitespace (2009-03-10)
  • Improper Sanitization of Whitespace (2010-04-05)

Content submission

Name
PLOVER
Date
2006-07-19
Version
Draft 3

Content modifications

Date Name Version Importance Comment
2008-07-01 Eric Dalci 1.0 updated Potential_Mitigations, Time_of_Introduction
2008-09-08 CWE Content Team 1.0 updated Description, Relationships, Relationship_Notes, Taxonomy_Mappings
2009-03-10 CWE Content Team 1.3 updated Description, Name
2009-07-27 CWE Content Team 1.5 updated Potential_Mitigations
2010-04-05 CWE Content Team 1.8.1 updated Description, Name
2011-03-29 CWE Content Team 1.12 updated Potential_Mitigations
2011-06-01 CWE Content Team 1.13 updated Common_Consequences
2011-06-27 CWE Content Team 2.0 updated Common_Consequences
2012-05-11 CWE Content Team 2.2 updated Relationships
2012-10-30 CWE Content Team 2.3 updated Potential_Mitigations
2014-07-30 CWE Content Team 2.8 updated Relationships, Taxonomy_Mappings
2017-05-03 CWE Content Team 2.11 updated Potential_Mitigations
2017-11-08 CWE Content Team 3.0 updated Applicable_Platforms
2020-02-24 CWE Content Team 4.0 updated Potential_Mitigations, Relationships
2020-06-25 CWE Content Team 4.1 updated Potential_Mitigations
2023-01-31 CWE Content Team 4.10 updated Description, Potential_Mitigations
2023-04-27 CWE Content Team 4.11 updated Relationships
2023-06-29 CWE Content Team 4.12 updated Mapping_Notes
2025-12-11 CWE Content Team 4.19 updated Weakness_Ordinalities
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