Common Weakness Enumeration
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CWE-590
Free of Memory not on the Heap
The product calls free() on a pointer to memory that was not allocated using associated heap allocation functions such as malloc(), calloc(), or realloc().
Mitigation
Phase: Implementation
Description:
- Only free pointers that you have called malloc on previously. This is the recommended solution. Keep track of which pointers point at the beginning of valid chunks and free them only once.
Mitigation
Phase: Implementation
Description:
- Before freeing a pointer, the programmer should make sure that the pointer was previously allocated on the heap and that the memory belongs to the programmer. Freeing an unallocated pointer will cause undefined behavior in the program.
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.
No CAPEC attack patterns related to this CWE.