CWE-1074: Class with Excessively Deep Inheritance
A class has an inheritance level that is too high, i.e., it has a large number of parent classes.
Overview
While the interpretation of "large number of parent classes" may vary for each product or developer, CISQ recommends a default maximum of 7 parent classes.
Common consequences
What can happen when CWE-1074 is exploited.
Reduce Maintainability, Increase Analytical Complexity
Affects: Other
This issue makes it more difficult to understand and maintain the product, which indirectly affects security by making it more difficult or time-consuming to find and/or fix vulnerabilities. It also might make it easier to introduce vulnerabilities.
How it happens
When it is introduced
Typically introduced during these phases of the software lifecycle.