Example - 1

Here, a public method in a Java class returns a reference to a private array. Given that arrays in Java are mutable, any modifications made to the returned reference would be reflected in the original private array.

return colors;private String[] colors;public String[] getColors() {}

Example - 2

In this example, the Color class defines functions that return non-const references to private members (an array type and an integer type), which are then arbitrarily altered from outside the control of the class.

int[2] colorArray;int colorValue;
// // return reference to private array// 
// // return reference to private integer// Color () : colorArray { 1, 2 }, colorValue (3) { };int[2] & fa () { return colorArray; } int & fv () { return colorValue; } private:public:

// // modifies private array element// 
// // modifies private int// 
Color c;c.fa () [1] = 42; c.fv () = 42; return 0;class Color{};int main (){}