Pretty sure new is how the STL containers you mentioned allocate new memory.
Following a chain of headers from vector, to stl_vector.h, to stl_iterator_base_funcs.h, to allocator.h, to c++allocator.h, to new_allocator.h - citing line 49,59, and 51 read:
Code:
* This is precisely the allocator defined in the C++ Standard.
* - all allocation calls operator new
* - all deallocation calls operator delete
You're implementation may vary some, but I'm confident your compiler uses new and delete also. The attraction of C++ is it retains and expands on C's ability to "touch the metal". A programmer can use library's to rock and roll, or drop into the code and write their own library.