Thread: Read data from a binary file using a pointer

I have been asked to read data from a binary file ( TCPdump ) using a pointer. I could read the data using a variable (non-pointer) and the console window did show me some numbers.

But when I tried doing the same thing with a pointer the program crashed? Is this because I'm not calling malloc() when initializing the pointer? Or is it the syntax when I'm using the pointer that is wrong?

I uploaded the TCPdump file to this folder (If you need to see it)
My Files

The package looks like:

Ethernet | IP | TCP | payload
14 bytes | IP_HL bytes | TH_OFF bytes |

main.c (Laboration3.c)

Code:

#include <stdio.h>
#include "framehdr.h"


#define SIZE_ETHERNET 14


int main() {
    
    FILE *file = fopen("TCPdump", "rb");
    
    if (file == NULL)
        printf("Error");
    
    printf("--- Ethernet ---\t");
    printf("--- IP ---");
    printf("\t\t--- TCP ---\n");
    
    // Why doesn't this work?
    struct ethernet_hdr* getEthernet;    
    fread((struct ethernet_hdr*)&getEthernet, sizeof(struct ethernet_hdr), 1, file);
    printf("\ndhost: %s", getEthernet->dhost);
    printf("shost: %s", getEthernet->shost);


    struct ip_hdr getIP;
    fread((struct ip_hdr*)&getIP, sizeof(struct ip_hdr), 1, file); 
    
    struct tcp_hdr getTCP;
    fread((struct tcp_hdr*)&getTCP, sizeof(struct tcp_hdr), 1, file); 
    
    printf("\t\t  vhl: %c", getIP.vhl);                //printf("\t\t  th_sport: %hd", getTCP.th_sport);
    printf("\n\t\t\t tos: %c", getIP.tos);             //printf("\t\t th_dport: %hd", getTCP.th_sport);
    printf("\n\t\t\t len: %hd", getIP.len);            //printf("\t\t\tth_seq:   %d", getTCP.th_sport);
    printf("\n\t\t\t id: %hd", getIP.id);            printf("\t\t\tth_ack:   %d", getTCP.ack);
    printf("\n\t\t\t off: %hd", getIP.off);            printf("\t\tth_offx2: %c", getTCP.offx2);
    printf("\n\t\t\t ttl: %c", getIP.ttl);            printf("\t\t\tth_flags: %c", getTCP.flags);
    printf("\n\t\t\t p: %c", getIP.p);                printf("\t\t\tth_win:   %hd", getTCP.win);
    printf("\n\t\t\t ip_sum: %hd", getIP.ip_sum);    printf("\t\tth_sum:   %hd", getTCP.sum);
    printf("\n\t\t\t src: %d", getIP.src);            printf("\tth_urp:   %hd", getTCP.urp);
    printf("\n\t\t\t dst: %d", getIP.dst);            
    fclose(file);
    
    return 0;
}

framehdr.h

Code:

/*
* Credit to Tim Carstens for the contents of this file
* http://www.tcpdump.org/pcap.html
*/


#ifndef FRAMEHDR_H
#define FRAMEHDR_H


/* Ethernet addresses are 6 bytes */
#define ETHER_ADDR_LEN   6


/* Ethernet header */
struct ethernet_hdr {
    unsigned char  dhost[ETHER_ADDR_LEN];  /* Destination host address */
    unsigned char  shost[ETHER_ADDR_LEN];  /* Source host address */
    unsigned short type;                   /* IP? ARP? RARP? etc */
};


/* IP header */
struct ip_hdr {
    unsigned char vhl;            /* Version and header length */
    unsigned char tos;            /* Type of service */
    unsigned short len;           /* Total length */
    unsigned short id;            /* Identification */
    unsigned short off;           /* Fragment offset field */
    unsigned char ttl;            /* Time to live */
    unsigned char p;              /* Protocol */
    unsigned short ip_sum;        /* Checksum */
    unsigned int src, dst;         /* Source and dest address */
};
#define IP_HL(ip)      ((((ip)->vhl) & 0x0f) * 4)  /* Gets length of the IP header, use with (ip_hdr *) */


/* TCP header */
typedef unsigned int tcp_seq;


struct tcp_hdr {
    unsigned short sport;   /* Source port */
    unsigned short dport;   /* Destination port */
    tcp_seq seq;            /* Sequence number */
    tcp_seq ack;            /* Acknowledgement number */
    unsigned char offx2;    /* Data offset, rsvd */


    unsigned char flags;
    unsigned short win;      /* Window */
    unsigned short sum;      /* Checksum */
    unsigned short urp;      /* Urgent pointer */
};
#define TH_OFF(th)   ((((th)->offx2 & 0xf0) >> 4) * 4)    /* Gets length of the TCP header, use with (tcp_hdr *) */
#endif

Originally Posted by DecoratorFawn82

Code:

if (file == NULL)
    printf("Error");

If the file fails to open, you print "Error" but still allow the program to proceed and attempt to access that file.

Don't forget to add all the necessary error checking on malloc / fread.

What is the necessary error handling for malloc and fread?

Is this what I should do if the program cannot read the file?

Code:

    
    if (file == NULL) {
        printf("Error");
        exit(1);    
    }

Originally Posted by DecoratorFawn82

What is the necessary error handling for malloc and fread?

Look up those functions and see what their return values represent.
This is an important skill you should cultivate.

Originally Posted by DecoratorFawn82

Is this what I should do if the program cannot read the file?

Code:

    
    if (file == NULL) {
        printf("Error");
        exit(1);    
    }

Yes, that is one way.

this works too,

Code:

FILE *file;

    if ( (file = fopen("TCPdump", "rb") ) == NULL) 
    { 
        printf("Error"); 
        return -1; 
    }

Better yet:

Code:

if (file == NULL) {
    perror("fopen");    // Prints the reason the file didn't open to stderr.
                        // (no such file; permission denied; etc.)
                        // The input string is printed before the error msg.
                        // E.g., fopen: Permission denied.
    exit(EXIT_FAILURE); // EXIT_FAILURE is a portable error return value
                        // (defined in stdlib.h)
}

Treat malloc similarly.

Originally Posted by userxbw

this works too,

Code:

FILE *file;

    if ( (file = fopen("TCPdump", "rb") ) == NULL) 
    { 
        printf("Error"); 
        return -1; 
    }

Be aware that certain environments interpret program return values as unsigned.

Originally Posted by Matticus

Be aware that certain environments interpret program return values as unsigned.

userxbw is totally incompetent and completely incapable of learning.

Originally Posted by john.c

userxbw is totally incompetent and completely incapable of learning.

says the master of insecurity, the playground bully.

Originally Posted by userxbw

then someone better up date these people too
The Stream File

That link has no relevance to the point at hand.

Originally Posted by Matticus

That link has no relevance to the point at hand.

it is what you referenced. so be more clear. thank you

Originally Posted by userxbw
this works too,
Code:

Code:

     

?
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FILE *file;
 
    if ( (file = fopen("TCPdump", "rb") ) == NULL) 
    { 
        printf("Error"); 
        return -1; 
    }

Be aware that certain environments interpret program return values as unsigned.

If the open operation is successful, fopen() returns a valid file pointer. The type FILE is defined in stdio.h. It is a structure that holds various kinds of information about the file, such as size.The file pointer will be used with all other functions that operate on the file and it must never be altered or the object it points to. If fopen() fails it returns a NULL pointer so this must always be checked for when opening a file. For example:
FILE *fp;
if ((fp = fopen("myfile", "r")) ==NULL){
printf("Error opening file\n");
exit(1);
}

from that link

The Stream File

Originally Posted by userxbw

it is what you referenced. so be more clear. thank you

Originally Posted by Matticus

Be aware that certain environments interpret program return values as unsigned.

I'm referring to the return value returned to the shell upon program completion.

What you posted was the return value of a function, used within a program.