CWE-478 1 CVEs MITRE definition ↗

CWE-478: Missing Default Case in Multiple Condition Expression

Overview

CWE-478 (Missing Default Case in Multiple Condition Expression) 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 code does not have a default case in an expression with multiple conditions, such as a switch statement.

Applicable platforms

Kind Name Class Prevalence OS / CPE
language C — Undetermined —
language C++ — Undetermined —
language Java — Undetermined —
language C# — Undetermined —
language Python — Undetermined —
language JavaScript — 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-2026-33064 2026-03-20 Free5GC is an open-source Linux Foundation project for 5th generation (5G) mobile core networks. Versions prior to 1.4.2 are vulnerable to procedure panic caused by Nil Pointer Dereference in the /sdm…

Previous names

  • Failure to Account for Default Case in Switch (2008-04-11)
  • Failure to Use Default Case in Switch (2009-05-27)
  • Missing Default Case in Switch Statement (2022-10-13)

Content submission

Name
CLASP
Date
2006-07-19
Version
Draft 3

Content modifications

Date Name Version Importance Comment
2008-07-01 Eric Dalci 1.0 — updated Time_of_Introduction
2008-09-08 CWE Content Team 1.0 — updated Applicable_Platforms, Common_Consequences, Description, Relationships, Other_Notes, Taxonomy_Mappings, Weakness_Ordinalities
2009-05-27 CWE Content Team 1.4 — updated Description, Name
2010-06-21 CWE Content Team 1.9 — updated Demonstrative_Examples
2011-03-29 CWE Content Team 1.12 — updated Demonstrative_Examples
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 References, Relationships
2014-06-23 CWE Content Team 2.7 — updated Description, Other_Notes, Potential_Mitigations
2014-07-30 CWE Content Team 2.8 — updated Relationships, Taxonomy_Mappings
2017-11-08 CWE Content Team 3.0 — updated Relationships
2018-03-27 CWE Content Team 3.1 — updated Relationships
2019-01-03 CWE Content Team 3.2 — updated Relationships
2020-02-24 CWE Content Team 4.0 — updated References, Relationships, Type
2020-08-20 CWE Content Team 4.2 — updated Relationships
2022-10-13 CWE Content Team 4.9 — updated Applicable_Platforms, Demonstrative_Examples, Description, Name, Potential_Mitigations
2023-04-27 CWE Content Team 4.11 — updated Detection_Factors, Relationships
2023-06-29 CWE Content Team 4.12 — updated Mapping_Notes
2025-12-11 CWE Content Team 4.19 — updated Relationships

Contributions

Type Name Date Comment
Content Drew Buttner 2022-08-15 Suggested name change and other modifications, including a new demonstrative example.
cvelogic Threat Intelligence