CWE-198: Use of Incorrect Byte Ordering
The product receives input from an upstream component, but it does not account for byte ordering (e.g. big-endian and little-endian) when processing the input, causing an incorrect number or value to be used.
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Overview
CWE-198 (Use of Incorrect Byte Ordering) is a variant-level software weakness catalogued by MITRE in the Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE). It describes a recurring type of mistake that can lead to exploitable security vulnerabilities.
Real-world CVEs
1 recorded CVEs are caused by CWE-198 (Use of Incorrect Byte Ordering). The highest-severity and most recent are shown first. 0 new CWE-198 CVEs have been recorded so far in 2026 (1 in 2025).
Common consequences
What can happen when CWE-198 is exploited.
Unexpected State
Affects: Integrity
How it happens
When it is introduced
Typically introduced during these phases of the software lifecycle.
How to detect it
Black Box
Because byte ordering bugs are usually very noticeable even with normal inputs, this bug is more likely to occur in rarely triggered error conditions, making them difficult to detect using black box methods.
Terminology & mappings
Mapped taxonomies
- PLOVER: Numeric Byte Ordering Error
- The CERT Oracle Secure Coding Standard for Java (2011): Provide methods to read and write little-endian data (FIO12-J)
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about CWE-198.
- What is CWE-198?
- The product receives input from an upstream component, but it does not account for byte ordering (e.g. big-endian and little-endian) when processing the input, causing an incorrect number or value to be used.
- What CVEs are caused by CWE-198?
- 1 recorded CVEs are attributed to CWE-198, including CVE-2025-52980.
- How is CWE-198 detected?
- Black Box: Because byte ordering bugs are usually very noticeable even with normal inputs, this bug is more likely to occur in rarely triggered error conditions, making them difficult to detect using black box methods.
- What are the consequences of CWE-198?
- Exploiting CWE-198 can lead to: Unexpected State.
- Is CWE-198 actively exploited?
- 1 recorded CVEs are caused by CWE-198; none are currently in CISA's KEV catalog of actively exploited flaws.
References
- MITRE CWE definition (CWE-198) (opens in a new tab)
- CWE-198 vulnerabilities on NVD (opens in a new tab)
- Learn: What is a CWE?
Weakness data is sourced from the MITRE CWE catalog (v4.20). CVE associations are aggregated and kept current by RadicalNotion.AI.
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