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Failing to cast the result of a memory allocation function call into a pointer to the allocated type can result in inadvertent pointer conversions. Code that follows this recommendation will compile and execute equally well in C++.
Recommendation | Severity | Likelihood | Remediation Cost | Priority | Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
MEM02-C | Low | Unlikely | Low | P3 | L3 |
Automated Detection
Tool | Version | Checker | Description | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Astrée |
| alloc-without-cast | Partially checked | ||||||
| Axivion Bauhaus Suite |
| CertC-MEM02 | Fully implemented | ||||||
| Compass/ROSE |
Can detect some violations of this recommendation when checking EXP36-C. Do not cast pointers into more strictly aligned pointer types | |||||||||
| ECLAIR |
| CC2.MEM02 | Fully implemented |
5.0
Can detect violations of this rule with CERT C Rule Pack
Allocated memory does not match destination pointer
sizeof argument does not match pointer type
| Helix QAC |
| C0695 | |||||||
| Parasoft C/C++test |
| CERT_C-MEM02-a | The result of the memory allocation function should be cast immediately | ||||||
| PC-lint Plus |
| 908 | Assistance provided: reports implicit conversions from void* to another type | ||||||
| Polyspace Bug Finder |
| Checks for wrong allocated object size for cast (rule fully covered) | |||||||
| RuleChecker |
| alloc-without-cast | Partially checked |
Related Vulnerabilities
Search for vulnerabilities resulting from the violation of this rule on the CERT website.
Related Guidelines
| SEI CERT C++ Coding Standard | VOID MEM02-CPP. Immediately cast the result of a memory allocation function call into a pointer to the allocated type |
Bibliography
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