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In this example, input_str is copied into dynamically allocated memory referenced by str. If malloc() }} fails, it returns an invalid (null) pointer that is assigned to {{str. When str is dereferenced in strcpy(), the program behave in an unpredictable manner.

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char *str = malloc(size_of_input_str);
strcpy(str, input);
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To correct this error, ensure the pointer returned by malloc() is not invalid (null). In addition to this rule, this should be done in accordance with rule MEM32-C. Detect and handle critical memory allocation errors.

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char *str = malloc(size_of_input_str);
if (str == NULL) {
  /* Handle Allocation Error */
}
strcpy(str, input_str);
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Priority and Level

Dereferencing null pointers typically results in a denial of service condition.

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