Thread: deferencing uninitialized pointer

  1. #1
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    deferencing uninitialized pointer

    Code:
    void swap (int *x, int *y) {
        int *temp;
        *temp = *x;
        *x = *y;
        *y = *temp;
    }
    This code, as you know, has a good chance of crashing depending on where the temp pointer points to. My problem is to write a procedure that guarantees its crashing when run like this:

    Code:
    int main () {
        int a = 1, b = 2;
        proc(/* Some args might go here */);
        swap(&a, &b);
    }
    Any ideas?

  2. #2
    Beautiful to C Aia's Avatar
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    Code:
    void swap (int *x, int *y) {
        int *temp = 0;
        *temp = *x;
        *x = *y;
        *y = *temp;
    }
    That'll crash it every time for sure
    When the eagles are silent, the parrots begin to jabber. ~Winston Churchill

  3. #3
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    No no no, I'm asking about how to write a procedure 'proc', that when run in the 2nd segment of code, guarantees the deference in swap to crash.

    Can't modify swap itself.

  4. #4
    and the hat of sweating
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    Why whould you want it to crash?
    Just pass a NULL or invalid pointer as one of swap's parameters.

  5. #5
    Algorithm Dissector iMalc's Avatar
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    I refuse to answer this question based on its absurdity, and the fact that the only reason I can see to want to know such a thing is to write an exploit of some kind.
    If that's not the case you'll have to exlpain your reasons and justify them too.
    My homepage
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  6. #6
    Officially An Architect brewbuck's Avatar
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    No idea why you'd want to, but passing NULL for either argument would probably be bad.

  7. #7
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    It's a purely academic question. The arguments to swap are fixed. A hint that I received is that proc should do something to the stack. The crash has to happen on deferencing temp, not the arguments to swap.

  8. #8
    Just Lurking Dave_Sinkula's Avatar
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    As such, it's not a C question, it's a question about the underlying architecture.
    7. It is easier to write an incorrect program than understand a correct one.
    40. There are two ways to write error-free programs; only the third one works.*

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