J. Viega, Reliable Software Technol., Dulles, VA, USA
J.T. Bloch, Reliable Software Technol., Dulles, VA, USA
Y. Kohno, Reliable Software Technol., Dulles, VA, USA
G. McGraw, Reliable Software Technol., Dulles, VA, USA
We describe ITS4, a tool for statically scanning security-critical C source code for vulnerabilities. Compared to other approaches, our scanning technique stakes out a new middle ground between accuracy and efficiency. This method is efficient enough to offer real-time feedback to developers during coding while producing few false negatives. Unlike other techniques, our method is also simple enough to scan C++ code despite the complexities inherent in the language. Using ITS4 we found new remotely-exploitable vulnerabilities in a widely distributed software package as well as in a major piece of e-commerce software. The ITS4 source distribution is available at http://www.rstcorp.com/its4.
Index Terms:
security of data; C language; C++ language; software packages; software tools; ITS4; static vulnerability scanner; C code; C++ code; security-critical source code; software vulnerabilities; real-time feedback; software package; e-commerce software
Citation:
J. Viega, J.T. Bloch, Y. Kohno, G. McGraw, "ITS4: A static vulnerability scanner for C and C++ code," acsac, pp.257, 16th Annual Computer Security Applications Conference (ACSAC'00), 2000