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Freeing memory that is not allocated dynamically can lead to serious errors similar to those discussed in guideline rule MEM31-C. Free dynamically allocated memory exactly once. The specific consequences of this error depend on the implementation, but they range from nothing to abnormal program termination. Regardless of the implementation, avoid calling free() on anything other than a pointer returned by a dynamic-memory allocation function, such as malloc(), calloc(), or realloc().
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Search for vulnerabilities resulting from the violation of this rule on the CERT website.
Related Guidelines
CERT C++ Secure Coding Standard: MEM34-CPP. Only free memory allocated dynamically
Bibliography
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\[[ISO/IEC 9899:1999|AA. Bibliography#ISO/IEC 9899-1999]\] Section 7.20.3, "Memory management functions"
MITRE CWE: CWE-590, "Free of Invalid Pointer Not on the Heap"
Bibliography
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\[[MITRE 2007|AA. Bibliography#MITRE 07]\] [CWE ID 590|http://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/590.html], "Free of Invalid Pointer Not on the Heap"
\[[Seacord 2005|AA. Bibliography#Seacord 05]\] Chapter 4, "Dynamic Memory Management" |
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