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Wiki MarkupThe {{setjmp()}} macro should only be invoked from only one of the contexts listed in §7subclause 7.13.1.1 of \[of the C Standard [ISO/IEC 9899:1999|AA. References#ISO/IEC 9899-1999]\]. Invoking {{2011]. Invoking setjmp()}} outside of one of these contexts results in undefined behavior (see [Undefined Behavior 119|CC. Undefined Behavior#ub_119]).. (See undefined behavior 125.)

After invoking longjmp(), non-volatile-qualified local objects should not be accessed if their values could have changed since the invocation of setjmp(). Their value in this case is considered indeterminate, and accessing them is undefined behavior (see Undefined Behavior 121, 10).. (See undefined behaviors 127 and 10.)

The longjmp() function should never be used to return control to a function that has terminated execution (see Undefined Behavior 120).. (See undefined behavior 126.)

Signal masks, floating-point status flags, and the state of open files are not saved by the setjmp() function. If signal masks need to be saved, the POSIX sigsetjmp() function should be used.

This recommendation is related to SIG32SIG30-C. Do not call longjmp() from inside a signal handler and Call only asynchronous-safe functions within signal handlers and ENV32-C. All atexit exit handlers must return normally.

Implementation Details

glibc v2.11.1 defines the jmp_buf type as follows:

No other state information is saved.

Noncompliant Code Example

This noncompliant code example calls setjmp() in an assignment statement, resulting in undefined behavior.:

jmp_buf buf;

void f(void) {
  int i = setjmp(buf);
  if (i == 0) {
    g();
  } else {
    /* longjmp was invoked */
  }
}

void g(void) {
  /* ... */
  longjmp(buf, 1);
}

...

Placing the call to setjmp() in the if statement and (, optionally) , comparing it with a constant integer removes the undefined behavior, as shown in this compliant solution.:

jmp_buf buf;

void f(void) {
  if (setjmp(buf) == 0) {
    g();
  } else {
    /* longjmp was invoked */
  }
}

void g(void) {
  /* ... */
  longjmp(buf, 1);
}

...

Any attempt to invoke the longjmp() function to transfer control to a function that has completed execution results in undefined behavior.:

#include <setjmp.h>
#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>

static jmp_buf buf;

static void fbad(void) {
  g();
  h();
static  return;
}

void g(void) {
  volatile int i = 10;
  if (setjmp(buf) == 0) {
    printf("i = %dsetjmp() invoked\n", i);
  } else {
    printf("longjmp: i = %d() invoked\n", i);
  }
}

static void f(void) {
  exitg(0);
}

static  }void setup(void) {
  returnf();
}

void hdo_stuff(void) {
  charvoid b[16](*b)(void) = bad;
  memset(b, 0, 16/* ... */
  longjmp(buf, 1);
}

static void bad(void) {
  printf("Should not be called!\n");
  longjmpexit(buf, 1);
}

int main(void) {
  setup();
  do_stuff();
}

Implementation Details

When compiled for i386 using GCC v4.1.2, the above Compiled at -O0 using GCC 7.5 or Clang 8.0 on Ubuntu 18.04 (Linux for x86-64), the preceding example outputs the following when run:

i = 10
longjmp: i = 0setjmp() invoked
longjmp() invoked
Should not be called!

Because g() has finished executing at the time longjmp() is called, it is no longer on the stack. When hdo_stuff() is invoked, its stackframe overwrites the stackframe stack frame occupies the same memory as the old stack frame of g(). In this case i , a was located in the same location as the end of array b. The call to memset() sets the four bytes that i occupied in g() to 0return address of function g(). The assignment of b overwrites the return address, so when longjmp() sends control back to function g(), it prints out a value of 0, the function returns to the wrong address (in this case, to function bad()).

If the array b were user specified, the user would be able to set the return address of function g() to any location.

Compliant Solution

The longjmp() function should only be used when only when the function containing the corresponding setjmp() is guaranteed not to have completed execution, as in the following example.:

#include <setjmp.h>
#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>

static jmp_buf buf;
static void bad(void);

void fdo_stuff(void) {
  volatile int i = 10void (*b)(void) = bad;
  if (setjmp(buf) == 0/* ... */
  longjmp(buf, 1);
}

static void bad(void) {
    printf("iShould not =be %dcalled!\n", i);
  exit(1);
} else

int main(void) {
  if  printf("longjmp: i = %d\n", i);(setjmp(buf) == 0) {
    exitprintf("setjmp(0);
  }
  h( invoked\n");
  return;
}

void h(void) else {
  char b[16];
  memset(b, 0, 16);
  longjmp(buf, 1 printf("longjmp() invoked\n");
  }
  do_stuff();
}
 

There In this example there is no risk of overwriting i a return address because the stackframe of fstack frame of main() (the function that invoked setjmp()) is still on the stack, ; so when h do_stuff() is invoked, the two stackframes stack frames will not overlap.

Noncompliant Code Example

NonIn this noncompliant example, non-volatile-qualified objects local to the function that invoked the corresponding setjmp() have indeterminate values after longjmp() has been is executed if their value has been changed since the invocation of setjmp().:

jmp_buf buf;

void f(void) {
  int i = 0;
  if (setjmp(buf) != 0) {
    printf("%i\n", i);
    /* ... */
  }
  i = 2;
  g();
}

void g(void) {
  /* ... */
  longjmp(buf, 1);
}

Implementation Details

Calling f() will print 2 if you compile with -O0, but will print 0 if you compile with -O2.  This involves using GCC 7.5 or Clang 8.0 on Ubuntu 18.04 (Linux x86-64).

Compliant Solution

If an object local to the function that invoked setjmp() needs to be accessed after longjmp() returns control to the function, the object should be volatile-qualified.:

jmp_buf buf;

void f(void) {
  volatile int i = 0;
  if (setjmp(buf) != 0) {
    printf("%i\n", i);
    /* ... */
  }
  i = 2;
  g();
}

void g(void) {
  /* ... */
  longjmp(buf, 1);
}

This will now correctly print 2 regardless of optimization level.

Risk Assessment

References

Automated Detection

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Image Added Image Added Image Added Wiki Markup\[[ISO/IEC 9899:1999|AA. References#ISO/IEC 9899-1999]\] Section 7.13, "Nonlocal jumps <setjmp.h>", Section J.2, "Portability issues"