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C can be memory-safe (2023) (blog.erratasec.com)
submitted 2 years ago by to c/c_lang@programming.dev
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[โ€“] 24 points 2 years ago (4 children)

I don't speak C, but isn't this an extreme simplification of the issue? I thought memory could be abused in an almost infinite number of subtle ways outside of allocating it wrong. For example, improperly sanitized string inputs. I feel like if it were this easy, it would have been done decades ago.

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  • [+] [S] -6 points 2 years ago

    I think this can be explained by underlining the differences between could, would, and should.

    The blog states the fact that at least some C compilers already offer the necessary and sufficient tools that characterize "memory-safe" languages, and proceeds to illustrate examples. This isn't new. However, just like "memory-safe" languages enforce narrow coding styles through a happy path that is expected to prevent the introduction of some classes of vulnerabilities, leveraging these compiler features in C projects also requires the same type of approach.

    This isn't new or unheard of. Some C++ frameworks are also known for supporting their own memory management and object ownership strategies, but you need to voluntarily adhere to them.

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