---
title: Avoid external input controlling reflection
description: Datadog, the leading service for cloud-scale monitoring.
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  Docs > Datadog Security > Code Security > Static Code Analysis (SAST) > SAST
  Rules > Avoid external input controlling reflection
---

> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.datadoghq.com/llms.txt).

# Avoid external input controlling reflection

{% callout %}
# Important note for users on the following Datadog sites: app.ddog-gov.com, us2.ddog-gov.com

{% alert level="danger" %}
This product is not supported for your selected [Datadog site](https://docs.datadoghq.com/getting_started/site.md). ({% placeholder "user-datadog-site-name" /%}).
{% /alert %}

{% /callout %}

## Metadata{% #metadata %}

**ID:** `csharp-security/no-unsafe-reflection`

**Language:** C#

**Severity:** Error

**Category:** Security

**CWE**: [470](https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/470.html)

## Description{% #description %}

No description found

## Non-Compliant Code Examples{% #non-compliant-code-examples %}

```csharp
public class ExampleController : Controller
{
    public IActionResult Apply(string EffectName)
    {
        var EffectInstance = Activator.CreateInstance(null, EffectName); // Noncompliant
        object EffectPlugin = EffectInstance.Unwrap();

        if (((IEffect)EffectPlugin).ApplyFilter())
        {
            return Ok();
        }
        else
        {
            return Problem();
        }
    }
}

public interface IEffect
{
    bool ApplyFilter();
}
```

## Compliant Code Examples{% #compliant-code-examples %}

```csharp
public class ExampleController : Controller
{
    private static readonly string[] EFFECT_ALLOW_LIST = {
        "SepiaEffect",
        "BlackAndWhiteEffect",
        "WaterColorEffect",
        "OilPaintingEffect"
    };

    public IActionResult Apply(string EffectName)
    {
        if (!EFFECT_ALLOW_LIST.Contains(EffectName))
        {
            return BadRequest("Invalid effect name. The effect is not allowed.");
        }

        var EffectInstance = Activator.CreateInstance(null, EffectName);
        object EffectPlugin = EffectInstance.Unwrap();

        if (((IEffect)EffectPlugin).ApplyFilter())
        {
            return Ok();
        }
        else
        {
            return Problem();
        }
    }
}

public interface IEffect
{
    bool ApplyFilter();
}
```

```csharp
public class PluginLoader
{
    public void LoadPlugin(IPluginDescriptor descriptor)
    {
        // CreateInstance(Type, params object[]) — second arg is a constructor argument,
        // not a type name. Type is determined at compile time via typeof + MakeGenericType.
        var instance = (IPlugin)Activator.CreateInstance(
            typeof(PluginWrapper<>).MakeGenericType(descriptor.GetType()),
            descriptor)!;
        instance.Initialize();
    }
}

public interface IPluginDescriptor {}
public interface IPlugin { void Initialize(); }
public class PluginWrapper<T> : IPlugin where T : IPluginDescriptor
{
    public PluginWrapper(T descriptor) {}
    public void Initialize() {}
}
```
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