A Resource Leak<\/a> is a software defect that occurs when a computer program fails to release resources it has acquired. Common examples include Memory Leak<\/a>, File Descriptor<\/a> exhaustion, and unclosed Network Socket<\/a> connections. When these resources are not returned to the Operating System<\/a> or the resource pool, the system may eventually run out of the specific resource, leading to slowed performance, application crashes, or a Denial of Service<\/a>.<\/p> In manual memory management environments like the C Programming Language<\/a>, developers must explicitly call functions to free allocated memory. Failure to do so is a primary cause of leaks. In high-level languages such as Java<\/a> or Python<\/a>, while Garbage Collection<\/a> handles memory, developers must still manage non-memory resources like a Database Connection<\/a> or file streams manually or through specific language constructs.<\/p> Modern programming practices suggest using the RAII<\/a> (Resource Acquisition Is Initialization) pattern or a Context Manager<\/a> to ensure resources are properly disposed of even when errors occur. For more technical details on identifying these vulnerabilities, consult the CWE-404: Improper Resource Shutdown or Release<\/a> or the Wikipedia entry on Resource Leaks<\/a>.<\/p>