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Unchecked Error Condition

🛡️ 3 rules detect this

Unchecked Error Condition

The product does not properly check when a function or operation returns a value that is associated with an error condition.

When error conditions are not checked, the application may continue with invalid or unexpected state, potentially leading to crashes, data corruption, or security vulnerabilities.

Prevalence
Medium
3 languages covered
Impact
High
1 high-severity rules
Prevention
Documented
3 fix examples
2 Prevention
2 Prevention

How to fix this vulnerability

Prevention strategies for Unchecked Error Condition based on 3 Shoulder detection rules.

Empty Error Handling LOW

Log or return errors instead of silently swallowing them

+2 -0 go
  _, err := db.Exec("DELETE FROM sessions WHERE expired = true")
  if err != nil {
+     log.Printf("session cleanup failed: %v", err)
+     return err
  }
  
Unhandled Promise Rejection HIGH

Always handle promise rejections with .catch() or try/catch in async functions

+7 -2 javascript
  app.post('/create', async (req, res) => {
-   const user = await User.create(req.body);
-   res.json(user);
+   try {
+     const user = await User.create(req.body);
+     res.json(user);
+   } catch (error) {
+     logger.error('User creation failed:', error);
+     res.status(500).json({ error: 'Could not create user' });
+   }
  });
  
Empty Exception Handler MEDIUM

Log exceptions or handle them explicitly instead of silently swallowing with pass

+11 -6 python
- def get_data():
-     try:
-         data = fetch_sensitive_data()
-         return {'data': data}
-     except:
-         pass
+ import logging
+ 
+ logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+ 
+ def get_data():
+     try:
+         data = fetch_sensitive_data()
+         return {'data': data}
+     except Exception as e:
+         logger.error(f"Failed to fetch data: {e}", exc_info=True)
+         return {'error': 'Data unavailable'}, 500
  
4 Warning Signs
4 Warning Signs

What to watch for in code reviews

These patterns indicate potential Unchecked Error Condition vulnerabilities. Look for these during code reviews and security audits.

🟠
Promise at ... lacks rejection handler (.catch or try-catch) javascript-unhandled-promise-rejection
🟠
promises that are created or called without proper rejection handlers javascript-unhandled-promise-rejection
🟡
empty except blocks that silently swallow exceptions python-empty-except-block
🔍

Scan your codebase for Unchecked Error Condition

Shoulder CLI finds vulnerable patterns across your entire codebase.