github / github/codeql

how to filter out this situation?

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question
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CodeQL
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Description

Hi, I have been learning to use CodeQL recently. I was trying to find all expressions that reach the `len` parameter of `memcpy`, and in the results, there is a case like the following.

```c
attr->val.octets = _malloc(attr->length);
if (!attr->val.octets)
goto out_err_mem;
memcpy(attr->val.octets, orig_avp_val, attr->length);
```
In this part, the `len` parameter of `memcpy` is exactly the same as the parameter of `_malloc`, which I consider to be safe. Therefore, I would like to exclude this situation. However, first, I want to identify this pattern, so I have written the following code.

```ql
import cpp
import semmle.code.cpp.dataflow.new.DataFlow
import semmle.code.cpp.dataflow.new.TaintTracking

// class MallocSize extends Expr {
// MallocSize() {
// exists(FunctionCall fc |
// fc.getTarget().hasName("malloc") and
// this = fc.getArgument(0)
// )
// }
// }

module RecvToMemcpyConfig implements DataFlow::ConfigSig {
predicate isSource(DataFlow::Node source) {
exists(Expr e | source.asExpr() = e
and not e.isConstant()
)
}

predicate isSink(DataFlow::Node sink) {
exists(FunctionCall fc, FunctionCall mc |
fc.getTarget().hasName("memcpy") and mc.getTarget().hasName("malloc")
and sink.asExpr() = fc.getArgument(2)
and fc.getArgument(2) = mc.getArgument(0)
)
and not sink.asExpr().isConstant()
}
}

module RecvToMemcpyFlow = TaintTracking::Global;

from RecvToMemcpyFlow::PathNode source, RecvToMemcpyFlow::PathNode sink
where RecvToMemcpyFlow::flowPath(source, sink)
select
source,
sink,
sink.getNode().getFunction().getFile(),
source.getNode().getFunction().getFile()
```

Although I think this code may not handle the following situation, I believe it should be able to handle the case where the `size` parameter of `malloc` and the `len` parameter of `memcpy` are exactly the same, meaning when the expressions are an exact match.

```c
b = _malloc(sizeof(*b) + size);
b->size = size;
memcpy(b->buf, buf, size);
```

But the result returns 0 results.

I also tried other approaches, but none of them met my expectations. How should I correctly handle this situation?

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

Research direction

Start with the DataFlow and TaintTracking imports, then inspect RecvToMemcpyConfig, especially isSource, isSink, and the flowPath query. Reproduce the query against the two C examples and determine whether the intended exact-expression and related-expression cases are returned. Done means the query identifies the safe malloc/memcpy size relationships that the issue describes.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
cpp
Domain
devtools, security
Issue type
Feature
Difficulty
4/5
Estimated time
3-5 days
Activity status
Stale
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
35/100

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