CWE Rule 242

This issue occurs when your code uses standard functions that write data to a buffer in a way that can result in buffer overflows.

The following table lists dangerous standard functions, the risks of using each function, and what function to use instead. The checker flags:

These functions can cause buffer overflow, which attackers can use to infiltrate your program.

The fix depends on the root cause of the defect. See fixes in the table above and code examples with fixes below.

If you do not want to fix the issue, add comments to your result or code to avoid another review. See:

#include <stdio.h>
#include <string.h>
#include <iostream>

#define BUFF_SIZE 128


int dangerous_func(char *str)
{
    char dst[BUFF_SIZE];
    int r = 0;

    if (sprintf(dst, "%s", str) == 1)  //Noncompliant
    {
        r += 1;
        dst[BUFF_SIZE-1] = '\0';
    }
    
    return r;
}

This example function uses sprintf to copy the string str to dst. However, if str is larger than the buffer, sprintf can cause buffer overflow.

One possible correction is to use snprintf instead and specify a buffer size.

#include <stdio.h>
#include <string.h>
#include <iostream>

#define BUFF_SIZE 128


int dangerous_func(char *str)
{
    char dst[BUFF_SIZE];
    int r = 0;

    if (snprintf(dst, sizeof(dst), "%s", str) == 1)
    {
        r += 1;
        dst[BUFF_SIZE-1] = '\0';
    }
    
    return r;
}

This issue occurs when you use standard function routines that are considered legacy, removed, deprecated, or obsolete by C/C++ coding standards.

The fix depends on the root cause of the defect. See fixes in the table above and code examples with fixes below.

If you do not want to fix the issue, add comments to your result or code to avoid another review. See:

#include <stdio.h>
#include <time.h> 

void timecheck_bad(int argc, char *argv[])
{
    time_t ticks; 

    ticks = time(NULL);
    printf("%.24s\r\n", ctime(&ticks));  //Noncompliant
}

In this example, the function ctime formats the current time and prints it out. However, ctime was removed after C99 because it does not work on multithreaded programs.

One possible correction is to use strftime instead because this function uses a set buffer size.

#include <stdio.h>
#include <string.h>
#include <time.h> 

void timecheck_good(int argc, char *argv[])
{
    char outBuff[1025];
    time_t ticks; 
    struct tm * timeinfo;
    
    memset(outBuff, 0, sizeof(outBuff)); 
    
    ticks = time(NULL);
    timeinfo = localtime(&ticks);
    strftime(outBuff,sizeof(outBuff),"%I:%M%p.",timeinfo);
    fprintf(stdout, outBuff);
}