Secure Coding in C and C++

Foreword xvii

Preface xxi

Acknowledgments xxv

About the Author xxvii

Chapter 1: Running with Scissors 1

1.1 Gauging the Threat 5

1.2 Security Concepts 12

1.3 C and C++ 17

1.4 Development Platforms 25

1.5 Summary 27

1.6 Further Reading 28

Chapter 2: Strings 29

2.1 Character Strings 29

2.2 Common String Manipulation Errors 42

2.3 String Vulnerabilities and Exploits 50

2.4 Mitigation Strategies for Strings 72

2.5 String-Handling Functions 84

2.6 Runtime Protection Strategies 101

2.7 Notable Vulnerabilities 117

2.8 Summary 118

2.9 Further Reading 120

Chapter 3: Pointer Subterfuge 121

3.1 Data Locations 122

3.2 Function Pointers 123

3.3 Object Pointers 124

3.4 Modifying the Instruction Pointer 125

3.5 Global Offset Table 127

3.6 The .dtorsSection 129

3.7 Virtual Pointers 131

3.8 The atexit()and on_exit()Functions 133

3.9 The longjmp()Function 134

3.10 Exception Handling 136

3.11 Mitigation Strategies 139

3.12 Summary 142

3.13 Further Reading 143

Chapter 4: Dynamic Memory Management 145

4.1 C Memory Management 146

4.2 Common C Memory Management Errors 151

4.3 C++ Dynamic Memory Management 162

4.4 Common C++ Memory Management Errors 172

4.5 Memory Managers 180

4.6 Doug Lea’s Memory Allocator 182

4.7 Double-Free Vulnerabilities 191

4.8 Mitigation Strategies 212

4.9 Notable Vulnerabilities 222

4.10 Summary 224

Chapter 5: Integer Security 225

5.1 Introduction to Integer Security 225

5.2 Integer Data Types 226

5.3 Integer Conversions 246

Robert C. Seacord is currently the Secure Coding Technical Manager in the CERT Program of Carnegie Mellon’s Software Engineering Institute (SEI). He is the author or coauthor of five books, including The CERT® C Secure Coding Standard (Addison-Wesley, 2009), and is the author and instructor of a video training series, Professional C Programming LiveLessons, Part I: Writing Robust, Secure, Reliable Code (Addison-Wesley, 2013).