Secure Coding in C and C++

"The security of information systems has not improved at a rate consistent with the growth and sophistication of the attacks being made against them. To address this problem, we must improve the underlying strategies and techniques used to create our systems. Specifically, we must build security in from the start, rather than append it as an afterthought. That's the point of Secure Coding in C and C++. In careful detail, this book shows software developers how to build high-quality systems that are less vulnerable to costly and even catastrophic attack. It's a book that every developer should read before the start of any serious project." --Frank Abagnale, author, lecturer, and leading consultant on fraud prevention and secure documents Learn the Root Causes of Software Vulnerabilities and How to Avoid Them Commonly exploited software vulnerabilities are usually caused by avoidable software defects. Having analyzed nearly 18,000 vulnerability reports over the past ten years, the CERT/Coordination Center (CERT/CC) has determined that a relatively small number of root causes account for most of them. This book identifies and explains these causes and shows the steps that can be taken to prevent exploitation. Moreover, this book encourages programmers to adopt security best practices and develop a security mindset that can help protect software from tomorrow's attacks, not just today's. Drawing on the CERT/CC's reports and conclusions, Robert Seacord systematically identifies the program errors most likely to lead to security breaches, shows how they can be exploited, reviews the potential consequences, and presents secure alternatives. Coverage includes technical detail on how to Improve the overall security of any C/C++ application Thwart buffer overflows and stack-smashing attacks that exploit insecure string manipulation logic Avoid vulnerabilities and security flaws resulting from the incorrect use of dynamic memory management functions Eliminate integer-related problems: integer overflows, sign errors, and truncation errors Correctly use formatted output functions without introducing format-string vulnerabilities Avoid I/O vulnerabilities, including race conditions Secure Coding in C and C++ presents hundreds of examples of secure code, insecure code, and exploits, implemented for Windows and Linux. If you're responsible for creating secure C or C++ software--or for keeping it safe--no other book offers you this much detailed, expert assistance.

Table of Contents:
Foreword. Preface. About the Author. 1. Running with Scissors.     Gauging the Threat     Security Concepts     C and C++     Development Platforms     Summary     Further Reading 2. Strings.     String Characteristics     Common String Manipulation Errors     String Vulnerabilities     Process Memory Organization     Stack Smashing     Code Injection     Arc Injection     Mitigation Strategies     Notable Vulnerabilities     Summary     Further Reading 3. Pointer Subterfuge.     Data Locations     Function Pointers     Data Pointers     Modifying the Instruction Pointer     Global Offset Table     The .dtors Section     Virtual Pointers     The atexit() and on_exit() Functions     The longjmp() Function     Exception Handling     Mitigation Strategies     Summary     Further Reading 4. Dynamic Memory Management.     Dynamic Memory Management     Common Dynamic Memory Management Errors     Doug Lea's Memory Allocator     RtlHeap     Mitigation Strategies     Notable Vulnerabilities     Summary     Further Reading 5. Integer Security.     Integers     Integer Conversions     Integer Error Conditions     Integer Operations     Vulnerabilities     Nonexceptional Integer Logic Errors     Mitigation Strategies     Notable Vulnerabilities     Summary     Further Reading 6. Formatted Output.     Variadic Functions     Formatted Output Functions     Exploiting Formatted Output Functions     Stack Randomization     Mitigation Strategies     Notable Vulnerabilities     Summary     Further Reading 7. File I/O.     Concurrency     Time of Check, Time of Use     Files as Locks and File Locking     File System Exploits     Mitigation Strategies     Summary 8. Recommended Practices.     Secure Software Development Principles     Systems Quality Requirements Engineering     Threat Modeling     Use/Misuse Cases     Architecture and Design     Off-the-Shelf Software     Compiler Checks     Input Validation     Data Sanitization     Static Analysis     Quality Assurance     Memory Permissions     Defense in Depth     TSP-Secure     Summary     Further Reading References. Acronyms. Index.