CodeQL documentation

Mutation of descriptor in __get__ or __set__ method.

ID: py/mutable-descriptor
Kind: problem
Security severity: 
Severity: error
Precision: very-high
Tags:
   - reliability
   - correctness
Query suites:
   - python-security-and-quality.qls

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The descriptor protocol allows user programmable attribute access. The descriptor protocol is what enables class methods, static methods, properties and super().

Descriptor objects are class attributes which control the behavior of instance attributes. Consequently, a single descriptor is common to all instances of a class and should not be mutated when instance attributes are accessed.

Recommendation

Do not mutate the descriptor object, rather create a new object that contains the necessary state.

Example

In this example the descriptor class MutatingDescriptor stores a reference to obj in an attribute.


#This is prone to strange side effects and race conditions.
class MutatingDescriptor(object):
    
    def __init__(self, func):
        self.my_func = func
        
    def __get__(self, obj, obj_type):
        #Modified state is visible to all instances of C that might call "show".
        self.my_obj = obj
        return self
        
    def __call__(self, *args):
        return self.my_func(self.my_obj, *args)
    
def show(obj):
    print (obj)
    
class C(object):
    
    def __init__(self, value):
        self.value = value
        
    def __str__(self):
        return ("C: " + str(self.value))
    
    show = MutatingDescriptor(show)
    
c1 = C(1)
c1.show()
c2 = C(2)
c2.show()
c1_show = c1.show
c2.show
c1_show()

#Outputs:
#C: 1
#C: 2
#C: 2

In the following example, the descriptor class NonMutatingDescriptor returns a new object every time __get__ is called.

import types

#Immutable version, which is safe to share.
class NonMutatingDescriptor(object):
    
    def __init__(self, func):
        self.my_func = func
        
    def __get__(self, obj, obj_type):
        #Return a new object to each access.
        return types.MethodType(self.my_func, obj)
    
def show(obj):
    print (obj)
    
class C(object):
    
    def __init__(self, value):
        self.value = value
        
    def __str__(self):
        return ("C: " + str(self.value))
    
    show = NonMutatingDescriptor(show)
    
c1 = C(1)
c1.show()
c2 = C(2)
c2.show()
c1_show = c1.show
c2.show
c1_show()

#Outputs:
#C: 1
#C: 2
#C: 1

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