An application programming interface (API) specifies how a function is intended to be called. Calling a function with incorrect arguments can result in unexpected or unintended program behavior. Functions that are appropriately declared (as in DCL07-C. Include the appropriate type information in function declarators) will typically fail compilation if they are supplied with the wrong number or types of arguments. However, there are cases where supplying the incorrect arguments to a function will at best generate compiler warnings. These warnings should be resolved but do not prevent program compilation.(See MSC00-C. Compile cleanly at high warning levels.)
C identifies four distinct situations in which undefined behavior may arise as a result of invoking a function using a declaration that is incompatible with its definition or with incorrect types or numbers of arguments:
26 | A pointer is used to call a function whose type is not compatible with the pointed-to type (6.3.2.3). |
38 | For a call to a function without a function prototype in scope, the number of arguments does not equal the number of parameters (6.5.2.2). |
39 | For call to a function without a function prototype in scope where the function is defined with a function prototype, either the prototype ends with an ellipsis or the types of the arguments after promotion are not compatible with the types of the parameters (6.5.2.2). |
41 | A function is defined with a type that is not compatible with the type (of the expression) pointed to by the expression that denotes the called function (6.5.2.2). |
Noncompliant Code Example (Function Pointers)
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| Tool | Version | Checker | Description | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GCC |
| Can detect violation of this rule when the | |||||||
| Compass/ROSE | can detect some violations of this rule. In particular, it ensures that all calls to | ||||||||
| 41 D | Partially implemented. | |||||||
| PRQA QA-C |
| 3001 0674(C) | Partially implemented. | ||||||
| Fortify SCA | V. 5.0 | ||||||||
| EDG |
Related Vulnerabilities
Search for vulnerabilities resulting from the violation of this rule on the CERT website.
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