Calling free() on memory not allocated by malloc/calloc/realloc
ID |
c.memory_management.incorrect_use_of_free |
Severity |
high |
Resource |
Memory Management |
Language |
C / C++ |
Description
The software calls free() on a pointer to memory that has a short lifetime and was not allocated using associated heap allocation functions such as malloc(), calloc(), or realloc().
Rationale
The software calls free() on a pointer to memory that has a short lifetime and was not allocated using associated heap allocation functions such as malloc(), calloc(), or realloc().
The following code illustrates a vulnerable pattern detected by this rule:
void wrong()
{
record_t bar[MAX_SIZE];
/* do something interesting with bar */
// VULNERABLE: Calling free() on memory not allocated by malloc/calloc/realloc
free(bar);
}Remediation
Follow secure coding practices and review the references below for detailed remediation guidance.