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Code Block | ||||
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#define __STDC_WANT_LIB_EXT1__ 1 #include <string.h> enum { STR_SIZE = 32 }; size_t func(const char *source) { char ac_str[STR_SIZE]; size_t ret = 0; if (source) { errno_t err = strncpy_s( ac_str, sizeof(ac_str), source, strlenstrnlen(source, sizeof(c_str)) ); if (err != 0) { /* Handle error */ } else { ret = strnlen(c_s(astr, sizeof(ac_str)); } } else { /* Handle null pointer */ } return ret; } |
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Code Block | ||||
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#include <string.h> enum { STR_SIZE = 32 }; size_t func(const char *source) { char c_str[STR_SIZE]; size_t ret = 0; if (source) { if (strlenstrnlen(source, sizeof(c_str)) < sizeof(c_str)) { strcpy(c_str, source); ret = strlen(c_str); } else { /* Handle string-too-large */ } } else { /* Handle null pointer */ } return ret; } |
Risk Assessment
Note that this code is not bulletproof. It gracefully handles the case where source
is NULL, when it is a valid string, and when source
is not null-terminated, but at least the first 32 bytes are valid. However, in cases where source
is not NULL, but points to invalid memory, or any of the first 32 bytes are invalid memory, the first call to strnlen()
will access this invalid memory, and the resulting behavior is undefined. Unfortunately, standard C provides no way to prevent or even detect this condition without some external knowledge about the memory source
points to.
Risk Assessment
Failure to properly null-terminate a character sequence that is Failure to properly null-terminate a character sequence that is passed to a library function that expects a string can result in buffer overflows and the execution of arbitrary code with the permissions of the vulnerable process. Null-termination errors can also result in unintended information disclosure.
Rule | Severity | Likelihood | Remediation Cost | Priority | Level |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
STR32-C |
High
Probable
Medium
P12
L1
Automated Detection
High | Probable | Medium | P12 | L1 |
Automated Detection
Tool
Version
Checker
Description
Tool | Version | Checker | Description | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Astrée |
| Supported Astrée supports the implementation of library stubs to fully verify this guideline. | |||||||
Axivion Bauhaus Suite |
| CertC-STR32 | Partially implemented: can detect some violation of the rule | ||||||
CodeSonar |
| MISC.MEM.NTERM.CSTRING | Unterminated C String | ||||||
Compass/ROSE |
Can detect some violations of this rule | |||||||||
Coverity |
| STRING_NULL | Fully implemented | ||||||
Helix QAC |
| DF2835, DF2836, DF2839 | |||||||
Klocwork |
| NNTS.MIGHT |
SV.STRBO.BOUND_COPY.UNTERM | |||||||||
LDRA tool suite |
| 404 S, 600 S | Partially implemented | ||||||
Parasoft C/C++test |
| CERT_C-STR32-a | Avoid overflow due to reading a not zero terminated string | |||||||
Polyspace Bug Finder |
| Checks for: |
|
|
Standard library string function called with invalid arguments
Argument to a standard function does not meet requirements for use in the function
Argument is from an unsecure source and may be NULL or not NULL-terminated
Rule partially covered. | |||||||||
PVS-Studio |
| V692 | |||||||
TrustInSoft Analyzer |
| match format and arguments | Partially verified. |
Related Vulnerabilities
Search for vulnerabilities resulting from the violation of this rule on the CERT website.
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Key here (explains table format and definitions)
Taxonomy | Taxonomy item | Relationship |
---|---|---|
ISO/IEC TR 24772:2013 | String Termination [CMJ] | Prior to 2018-01-12: CERT: Unspecified Relationship |
ISO/IEC TS 17961:2013 | Passing a non-null-terminated character sequence to a library function that expects a string [strmod] | Prior to 2018-01-12: CERT: Unspecified Relationship |
CWE 2.11 | CWE-119, Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer | 2017-05-18: CERT: Rule subset of CWE |
CWE 2.11 | CWE-123, Write-what-where Condition | 2017-06-12: CERT: Partial overlap |
CWE 2.11 | CWE-125, Out-of-bounds Read | 2017-05-18: CERT: Rule subset of CWE |
CWE 2.11 | CWE-170, Improper Null Termination | 2017-06-13: CERT: Exact |
CERT-CWE Mapping Notes
Key here for mapping notes
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- Arbitrary writes that do not involve standard C library copying functions, such as strcpy()
Bibliography
[Seacord 2013] | Chapter 2, "Strings" |
[Viega 2005] | Section 5.2.14, "Miscalculated NULL Termination" |
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