CWE-823: Use of Out-of-range Pointer Offset
Learn about CWE-823 (Use of Out-of-range Pointer Offset), its security impact, exploitation methods, and prevention guidelines.
What is Use of Out-of-range Pointer Offset?
• Overview: CWE-823, Use of Out-of-range Pointer Offset, occurs when software performs pointer arithmetic using an offset that may point outside the valid memory range. This can happen when pointers, intended to access specific memory areas, are incorrectly calculated or manipulated, potentially leading to unauthorized memory access.
• Exploitation Methods:
- Attackers can exploit this by providing malicious input that results in out-of-range offsets.
- Common attack patterns include buffer overflows, where the attacker manipulates the offset to access or modify memory outside the intended buffer.
• Security Impact:
- Direct consequences include memory corruption, crashes, or unstable behavior of the software.
- Potential cascading effects may involve arbitrary code execution, data leakage, or system compromise.
- Business impact can range from data breaches to service disruptions and loss of customer trust.
• Prevention Guidelines:
- Specific code-level fixes include validating pointer offsets and ensuring they remain within the intended memory range.
- Security best practices involve using safe libraries for memory management and avoiding direct pointer arithmetic when possible.
- Recommended tools and frameworks include static analysis tools to detect unsafe pointer operations and memory access violations.
Technical Details
Likelihood of Exploit: Not specified
Affected Languages: Not specified
Affected Technologies: Not specified