CertC++-ARR39ΒΆ

Do not add or subtract a scaled integer to a pointer

Required inputs: IR

Pointer arithmetic is appropriate only when the pointer argument refers to an array (see  ARR37-C. Do not add or subtract an integer to a pointer to a non-array object), including an array of bytes. When performing pointer arithmetic, the size of the value to add to or subtract from a pointer is automatically scaled to the size of the type of the referenced array object. Adding or subtracting a scaled integer value to or from a pointer is invalid because it may yield a pointer that does not point to an element within or one past the end of the array. (See  ARR30-C. Do not form or use out-of-bounds pointers or array subscripts.)

Adding a pointer to an array of a type other than character to the result of the sizeof operator or offsetof macro, which returns a size and an offset, respectively, violates this rule. However, adding an array pointer to the number of array elements, for example, by using the arr[sizeof(arr)/sizeof(arr[0])]) idiom, is allowed provided that arr refers to an array and not a pointer.

Noncompliant Code Example

In this noncompliant code example, sizeof(buf) is added to the array  buf. This example is noncompliant because sizeof(buf) is scaled by int and then scaled again when added to buf. 

enum { INTBUFSIZE = 80 };

extern int getdata(void);
int buf[INTBUFSIZE];
 
void func(void) {
  int *buf_ptr = buf;

  while (buf_ptr < (buf + sizeof(buf))) {
    *buf_ptr++ = getdata();
  }
}
Compliant Solution

This compliant solution uses an unscaled integer to obtain a pointer to the end of the array:

enum { INTBUFSIZE = 80 };

extern int getdata(void);
int buf[INTBUFSIZE];

void func(void) {
  int *buf_ptr = buf;

  while (buf_ptr < (buf + INTBUFSIZE)) {
    *buf_ptr++ = getdata();
  }
}
Noncompliant Code Example

In this noncompliant code example, skip is added to the pointer s. However, skip represents the byte offset of ull_b in struct big. When added to s, skip is scaled by the size of struct big. 

#include <string.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <stddef.h>
 
struct big {
  unsigned long long ull_a;
  unsigned long long ull_b;
  unsigned long long ull_c;
  int si_e;
  int si_f;
};

void func(void) {
  size_t skip = offsetof(struct big, ull_b);
  struct big *s = (struct big *)malloc(sizeof(struct big));
  if (s == NULL) {
    /* Handle malloc() error */
  }

  memset(s + skip, 0, sizeof(struct big) - skip);
  /* ... */
  free(s);
  s = NULL;
}
Compliant Solution

This compliant solution uses an  unsigned char * to calculate the offset instead of using a struct big *, which would result in scaled arithmetic: 

#include <string.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <stddef.h>
 
struct big {
  unsigned long long ull_a;
  unsigned long long ull_b;
  unsigned long long ull_c;
  int si_d;
  int si_e;
};

void func(void) {
  size_t skip = offsetof(struct big, ull_b);
  unsigned char *ptr = (unsigned char *)malloc(
    sizeof(struct big)
  );
  if (ptr == NULL) {
     /* Handle malloc() error */
  }

  memset(ptr + skip, 0, sizeof(struct big) - skip);
  /* ... */
  free(ptr);
  ptr = NULL;
}
Noncompliant Code Example

In this noncompliant code example, wcslen(error_msg) * sizeof(wchar_t) bytes are scaled by the size of wchar_t when added to error_msg: 

#include <wchar.h>
#include <stdio.h>
 
enum { WCHAR_BUF = 128 };
 
void func(void) {
  wchar_t error_msg[WCHAR_BUF];

  wcscpy(error_msg, L"Error: ");
  fgetws(error_msg + wcslen(error_msg) * sizeof(wchar_t),
         WCHAR_BUF - 7, stdin);
  /* ... */
}
Compliant Solution

This compliant solution does not scale the length of the string;  wcslen() returns the number of characters and the addition to  error_msg is scaled: 

#include <wchar.h>
#include <stdio.h>

enum { WCHAR_BUF = 128 };
const wchar_t ERROR_PREFIX[7] = L"Error: ";

void func(void) {
  const size_t prefix_len = wcslen(ERROR_PREFIX);
  wchar_t error_msg[WCHAR_BUF];

  wcscpy(error_msg, ERROR_PREFIX);
  fgetws(error_msg + prefix_len,
        WCHAR_BUF - prefix_len, stdin);
  /* ... */
}
Risk Assessment

Failure to understand and properly use pointer arithmetic can allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code.

Rule Severity Likelihood Remediation Cost Priority Level
ARR39-C High Probable High P6 L2
Related Guidelines
Taxonomy Taxonomy item Relationship
CERT C Secure Coding Standard ARR30-C. Do not form or use out-of-bounds pointers or array subscripts Prior to 2018-01-12: CERT: Unspecified Relationship
CERT C Secure Coding Standard ARR37-C. Do not add or subtract an integer to a pointer to a non-array object Prior to 2018-01-12: CERT: Unspecified Relationship
ISO/IEC TR 24772:2013 Pointer Casting and Pointer Type Changes [HFC] Prior to 2018-01-12: CERT: Unspecified Relationship
ISO/IEC TR 24772:2013 Pointer Arithmetic [RVG] Prior to 2018-01-12: CERT: Unspecified Relationship
MISRA C:2012 Rule 18.1 (required) Prior to 2018-01-12: CERT: Unspecified Relationship
MISRA C:2012 Rule 18.2 (required) Prior to 2018-01-12: CERT: Unspecified Relationship
MISRA C:2012 Rule 18.3 (required) Prior to 2018-01-12: CERT: Unspecified Relationship
MISRA C:2012 Rule 18.4 (advisory) Prior to 2018-01-12: CERT: Unspecified Relationship
CWE 2.11 CWE-468, Incorrect Pointer Scaling 2017-07-07: CERT: Exact
Bibliography
[ Dowd 2006] Chapter 6, "C Language Issues"
[ Murenin 07]
Excerpt from SEI CERT C++ Coding Standard [https://cmu-sei.github.io/secure-coding-standards/sei-cert-c-coding-standard/rules/arrays-arr/arr39-c], Copyright (C) 1995-2026 Carnegie Mellon University. See section 9.4. "3rd-Party Licenses" in the documentation for full details.

Possible Messages

Key

Text

Severity

Disabled

scaled_arith

Do not add or subtract a scaled integer to a pointer.

None

False

Options