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Code Block | ||||
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#include <stdio.h> #include <string.h> int main(int argc, char *argv[]) { FILE *out; FILE *in; size_t size; char *ptr; if (argc != 2) { /* Handle error */ } in = fmemopen(argv[1], strlen(argv[1]), "r"); if (in == NULL){ /* Handle error */ } /* Use in */ out = open_memstream(&ptr, &size); if (out == NULL){ /* Handle error */ } /* Use out */ return 0; } |
Exceptions
ERR33POS54-C-EX1: This exception has been removed.
POS54-C-EX2: The exception from EXP12ERR33-C. Do not ignore values returned by functions still applies. If the return value is inconsequential or if any errors can be safely ignored, such as for functions called because of their side effects, the function should be explicitly cast to void
to signify programmer intent.
ERR33-C-EX2: Ignore the return value of a function that cannot fail or whose return value cannot signify that an error condition need not be diagnosed. For example, strcpy()
is one such function.
Return values from the following functions do not need to be checked because their historical use has overwhelmingly omitted error checking, and the consequences are not relevant to security.
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Function
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Successful Return
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Error Return
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printf()
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Number of characters (nonnegative)
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Negative
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putchar()
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Character written
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EOF
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puts()
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Nonnegative
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EOF
(negative)
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putwchar()
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Wide character written
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WEOF
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vprintf()
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Number of characters (nonnegative)
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Negative
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vwprintf()
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Number of wide characters (nonnegative)
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Negative
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wprintf()
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Number of wide characters (nonnegative)
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Negative
Detect and handle standard library errors (that is ERR33-C-EX1) applies to this rule. See that exception for more information.
Risk Assessment
Failing to detect error conditions can lead to unpredictable results, including abnormal program termination and denial-of-service attacks or, in some situations, could even allow an attacker to run arbitrary code.
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Tool | Version | Checker | Description | |||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Astrée |
| error-information-unused error-information-unused-computed | Supported | |||||||||||
Axivion Bauhaus Suite |
| CertC-POS54 | ||||||||||||
CodeSonar |
| LANG.FUNCS.IRV LANG.ERRCODE.NOTEST LANG.ERRCODE.NZ | Ignored return value Missing Test of Error Code Non-zero Error Code | |||||||||||
Compass/ROSE | Can detect violations of this recommendation when checking for violations of EXP12-C. Do not ignore values returned by functions and EXP34-C. Do not dereference null pointers | |||||||||||||
| CHECKED_RETURN | Finds inconsistencies in how function call return values are handled. Coverity Prevent cannot discover all violations of this recommendation, so further verification is necessary | ||||||||||||
Helix QAC |
| C3200 | ||||||||||||
Klocwork |
| SV.RVT.RETVAL_NOTTESTED | ||||||||||||
LDRA tool suite |
| 80 D | Partially implemented | |||||||||||
Parasoft C/C++test |
| CERT_C-POS54-a | The value returned by a | function having non-void return type shall be usedPOSIX library function that may return an error should be used | ||||||||||
PC-lint Plus |
| 413, 534, 613 | Assistance provided | |||||||||||
| Returned CERT C: Rule POS54-C | Checks for situations where return value of a sensitive function is not checked | Sensitive functions called without checking for unexpected return values and errors | (rule fully covered) | ||||||||||
RuleCheckerPRQA QA-C |
PRQA QA-C_v | PRQA QA-C_v | | 3200 |
| error-information-unused | SupportedPartially implemented |
Related Vulnerabilities
The vulnerability in Adobe Flash [VU#159523] arises because Flash neglects to check the return value from calloc()
. Even when calloc()
returns NULL
, Flash writes to an offset from the return value. Dereferencing NULL
usually results in a program crash, but dereferencing an offset from NULL
allows an exploit to succeed without crashing the program.
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[DHS 2006] | Handle All Errors Safely |
[Henricson 1997] | Recommendation 12.1, "Check for All Errors Reported from Functions" |
[ISO/IEC 9899:20112024] | Subclause 7.2123.7.10, "The ungetc Function" |
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