CWE-762
Mismatched Memory Management Routines
The product attempts to return a memory resource to the system, but it calls a release function that is not compatible with the function that was originally used to allocate that resource.
Mitigation
Phase: Implementation
Description:
- Only call matching memory management functions. Do not mix and match routines. For example, when you allocate a buffer with malloc(), dispose of the original pointer with free().
Mitigation ID: MIT-41
Phase: Implementation
Strategy: Libraries or Frameworks
Description:
- Choose a language or tool that provides automatic memory management, or makes manual memory management less error-prone.
- For example, glibc in Linux provides protection against free of invalid pointers.
- When using Xcode to target OS X or iOS, enable automatic reference counting (ARC) [REF-391].
- To help correctly and consistently manage memory when programming in C++, consider using a smart pointer class such as std::auto_ptr (defined by ISO/IEC ISO/IEC 14882:2003), std::shared_ptr and std::unique_ptr (specified by an upcoming revision of the C++ standard, informally referred to as C++ 1x), or equivalent solutions such as Boost.
Mitigation ID: MIT-4.6
Phase: Architecture and Design
Strategy: Libraries or Frameworks
Description:
- Use a vetted library or framework that does not allow this weakness to occur or provides constructs that make this weakness easier to avoid.
- For example, glibc in Linux provides protection against free of invalid pointers.
Mitigation
Phase: Architecture and Design
Description:
- Use a language that provides abstractions for memory allocation and deallocation.
Mitigation
Phase: Testing
Description:
- Use a tool that dynamically detects memory management problems, such as valgrind.
No CAPEC attack patterns related to this CWE.