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char *init_array() {
   char array[10];
   /* Initialize array */
   return array;
}

On some compilers, compiling with sufficiently high warning levels will Some compilers generate a warning when a local stack variable is returned from a function. Compile your code at high warning levels and resolve any warnings MSC00-A. Compile cleanly at high warning levels.

Compliant Solution (Return Values)

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Search for vulnerabilities resulting from the violation of this rule on the CERT website.

Automated Detection

The Coverity Prevent. The RETURN_LOCAL checker finds many instances where a function will return a pointer to a local stack variable. Coverity Prevent cannot discover all violations of this rule so further verification is necessary.

References

\[[ISO/IEC 9899-1999|AA. C References#ISO/IEC 9899-1999]\] Section 6.2.4, "Storage durations of objects," and Section 7.20.3, "Memory management functions"
\[[MITRECoverity 07|AA. C References#MITREReferences#Coverity 07]\] [CWE ID 415|http://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/415.html], "Double Free"; [CWE ID 416|http://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/416.html], "Use After Free"