Versions Compared

Key

  • This line was added.
  • This line was removed.
  • Formatting was changed.
Comment: Updated references from C11->C23

Local, automatic variables assume unexpected values if they are read before they are initialized.  The The C Standard, 6.7.911, paragraph 1011, specifies [ISO/IEC 9899:20112024]

If an object that has automatic storage duration is not initialized explicitly, its value representation is indeterminate.

See undefined behavior 11.

...

EXP33-C-EX1: Reading uninitialized memory by an lvalue of type unsigned char that could not have been declared with the register storage class does not trigger undefined behavior. The unsigned char type is defined to not have a trap representation, which allows for moving bytes without knowing if they are initialized. (See the C Standard, 6.2.6.1, paragraph 3.) However, ) The requirement that register could not have been used (not merely that it was not used) is because on some architectures, such as the Intel Itanium, registers have a bit to indicate whether or not they have been initialized. The C Standard, 6.3.2.1, paragraph 2, allows such implementations to cause a trap for an object that never had its address taken and is stored in a register if such an object is referred to in any way.

...

BDBPNOTINITFully implementedPRQA QA-CPRQA QACvPRQA QACv
ToolVersionCheckerDescription
Astrée
Include Page
Astrée_V
Astrée_V

uninitialized-local-read

uninitialized-variable-use

Partially checkedFully checked
Axivion Bauhaus Suite

Include Page
Axivion Bauhaus Suite_V
Axivion Bauhaus Suite_V

CertC-EXP33
CodeSonar
Include Page
CodeSonar_V
CodeSonar_V
LANG.MEM.UVARUninitialized variable
Compass/ROSE

Automatically detects simple violations of this rule, although it may return some false positives. It may not catch more complex violations, such as initialization within functions taking uninitialized variables as arguments. It does catch the second noncompliant code example, and can be extended to catch the first as well

Coverity
Include Page
Coverity_V
Coverity_V

UNINIT

Implemented
Cppcheck
Include Page
Cppcheck_V
Cppcheck_V

uninitvar
uninitdata
uninitstring
uninitMemberVar
uninitStructMember

Detects uninitialized variables, uninitialized pointers, uninitialized struct members, and uninitialized array elements (However, if one element is initialized, then cppcheck assumes the array is initialized.)
There are FN compared to some other tools because Cppcheck tries to avoid FP in impossible paths.

Cppcheck Premium

Include Page
Cppcheck Premium_V
Cppcheck Premium_V

uninitvar
uninitdata
uninitstring
uninitMemberVar
uninitStructMember
Detects uninitialized variables, uninitialized pointers, uninitialized struct members, and uninitialized array elements (However, if one element is initialized, then cppcheck assumes the array is initialized.)
There are FN compared to some other tools because Cppcheck tries to avoid FP in impossible paths.
GCC4.GCC4.3.5

Can detect some violations of this rule when the -Wuninitialized flag is used

Helix QAC

Include Page
Helix QAC_V
Helix QAC_V

DF2726, DF2727, DF2728, DF2961, DF2962, DF2963, DF2966, DF2967, DF2968, DF2971, DF2972, DF2973, DF2976, DF2977, DF2978

Fully implemented
Klocwork
Include Page
Klocwork_V
Klocwork_V

UNINIT.HEAP.MIGHT
UNINIT.HEAP.MUST
UNINIT.STACK.ARRAY.MIGHT
UNINIT.STACK.ARRAY.MUST
UNINIT.STACK.ARRAY.PARTIAL.MUST
UNINIT.STACK.MIGHT
UNINIT.STACK.MUST

Fully implemented
LDRA tool suite
Include Page
LDRA_V
LDRA_V

53 D, 69 D, 631 S, 652 S

Fully implemented

Parasoft C/C++test

Include Page
Parasoft_V
Parasoft_V

CERT_C-EXP33-a

Avoid use before initialization

Parasoft Insure++

Include Page
Parasoft_V
Parasoft_V


Runtime analysis
Polyspace Bug FinderR2016a

Non-initialized pointer,
Non-initialized variable

Pointer not initialized before dereference

Variable not initialized before use

PC-lint Plus

Include Page

PC-

lint Plus_

V

PC-

lint Plus_

V

2961, 2962, 2963, 2966, 2967, 2968, 2971, 2972, 2973, 2976, 2977, 2978Fully implementedPRQA QA-C++
Include Page
cplusplus:PRQA QA-C++_Vcplusplus:PRQA QA-C++_V

530, 603, 644, 901

Fully supported

Polyspace Bug Finder

Include Page
Polyspace Bug Finder_V
Polyspace Bug Finder_V

CERT C: Rule EXP33-C


Checks for:

  • Non-initialized variable
  • Non-initialized pointer

Rule partially covered

PVS-Studio

Include Page
PVS-Studio_V
PVS-Studio_V

2961, 2962, 2963, 2966, 2967, 2968, 2971, 2972, 2973, 2976, 2977, 2978

PVS-Studio6.22

V573, V614, V670, V679, V1050

RuleChecker
Include Page
RuleChecker_V
RuleChecker_V

uninitialized-local-readuninitialized-variable-use

Partially checked
Splint3.1.1

TrustInSoft Analyzer

Include Page
TrustInSoft Analyzer_V
TrustInSoft Analyzer_V

initialisation
Exhaustively verified (see one compliant and one non-compliant example).

Related Vulnerabilities

CVE-2009-1888 results from a violation of this rule. Some versions of SAMBA (up to 3.3.5) call a function that takes in two potentially uninitialized variables involving access rights. An attacker can exploit these coding errors to bypass the access control list and gain access to protected files [xorl 2009].

...

[Flake 2006]
[ISO/IEC 9899:20112024]Subclause 6.7.911, "Initialization"
Subclause 6.2.6.1, "General"
Subclause 6.3.2.1, "Lvalues, Arrays, and Function Designators"
[Mercy 2006]
[VU#925211]
[Wang 2012]"More Randomness or Less"
[xorl 2009]"CVE-2009-1888: SAMBA ACLs Uninitialized Memory Read"

...