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//! CWE-252: Unchecked Return Value.
//!
//! It is a common programming pattern that called procedures indicate their
//! success or failure to the caller via their return value. If a caller does
//! not check the return value of a called procedure they can not know if the
//! operation was successful or not. This may lead to bugs with security
//! implications when the program resumes execution under the assumption that
//! the failed call has worked.
//!
//! # Examples
//!
//! See the following CVEs for examples in Linux user-mode programs:
//!
//! - CVE-2007-5191
//! - CVE-2017-6964
//! - CVE-2018-16643
//! - CVE-2019-15900
//! - CVE-2023-40303
//!
//! Also see [CWE252 at Mitre].
//!
//! [CWE252 at Mitre]: https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/252.html
//!
//! # Algorithm
//!
//! We perform a taint analysis where the sources are return values of calls to
//! external functions and the sinks are:
//!
//! - Places where all taint vanishes from the state. Here, the program losses
//! all information about success of failure of the API call; thus, it can not
//! possibly adapt its behavior in the subsequent execution.
//! - Taint reaches a return site of a function without any taint being returned
//! to the caller. Here, the caller of the function cannot know if the API
//! call was successful.
//!
//! Taint propagation is stopped along paths as soon as a conditional control
//! flow transfer depends on a tainted value.
//!
//! # Limitations
//!
//! ## False Positives
//!
//! - For many API functions the necessity to check the return value depends on
//! the context of the caller.
//! - Cases where the result is checked before it is assumed that the operation
//! has worked, but there are paths from the call site that are correct
//! irrespective of the success or failure of the call.
//! - Patterns where the return value is handled by giving it as an argument to
//! another function call.
//! - Taint loss due to Pointer Inference inexactness may cause the return value
//! check to not be recognized as such.
//!
//! ## False Negatives
//!
//! - Return value is checked but the program does not act accordingly.
//! - The API function is not in the list of checked functions.
//!
//! # Configuration
//!
//! The list of checked external functions can be configured via the
//! `config.json`. By selecting the `strict_mode` additional functions can be
//! included, however, those are more likely to produce false positives.
use crate::analysis::graph::{Edge, NodeIndex};
use crate::analysis::pointer_inference::PointerInference;
use crate::intermediate_representation::{ExternSymbol, Jmp, Project, Term};
use crate::pipeline::AnalysisResults;
use crate::prelude::*;
use crate::utils::log::{CweWarning, LogMessage};
use crate::utils::symbol_utils;
use crate::CweModule;
use petgraph::visit::EdgeRef;
use std::collections::{BTreeMap, HashSet, VecDeque};
use std::sync::Arc;
mod context;
mod isolated_returns;
use context::*;
use isolated_returns::*;
/// CWE-252: Unchecked Return Value.
pub static CWE_MODULE: CweModule = CweModule {
name: "CWE252",
version: "0.1",
run: check_cwe,
};
/// Configuration of the check; this is read from the `config.json` file.
#[derive(Deserialize)]
struct Config {
strict_mode: bool,
/// External symbols whose return values must be checked.
symbols: HashSet<String>,
/// Additional symbols that are only checked when we run in strict mode.
strict_symbols: HashSet<String>,
}
impl Config {
fn into_symbols(mut self) -> HashSet<String> {
if self.strict_mode {
self.symbols.extend(self.strict_symbols);
}
self.symbols
}
}
/// Call whose return value must be checked.
#[derive(Clone, Copy)]
struct MustUseCall<'a> {
/// Information about the function that was called.
symbol: &'a ExternSymbol,
/// CFG node where the call will return to.
return_node: NodeIndex,
/// IR instruction of the call.
jmp: &'a Term<Jmp>,
}
impl MustUseCall<'_> {
/// Returns a copy of the name of the external function that was called.
pub fn get_symbol_name(&self) -> String {
self.symbol.name.clone()
}
}
/// List of calls to analyze.
struct Worklist<'a> {
/// Remaining calls to analyze.
calls: VecDeque<MustUseCall<'a>>,
}
impl<'a> Worklist<'a> {
/// Creates a new worklist of external function calls to analyze.
///
/// Searches the program for calls to the functions specified in the
/// `config` and gathers them into a new worklist.
fn new(analysis_results: &'a AnalysisResults, symbols: &HashSet<String>) -> Self {
let symbol_map = symbol_utils::get_symbol_map_fast(analysis_results.project, symbols);
let cfg = analysis_results
.pointer_inference
.expect("CWE252: BUG: No pointer inference results.")
.get_graph();
Worklist {
calls: cfg
.edge_references()
.filter_map(|edge| {
let Edge::ExternCallStub(jmp) = edge.weight() else {
return None;
};
let Jmp::Call { target, .. } = &jmp.term else {
return None;
};
let return_node = edge.target();
Some(MustUseCall {
symbol: symbol_map.get(target)?,
return_node,
jmp,
})
})
.collect(),
}
}
}
/// Represents the full CWE252 analysis of a given project.
struct CweAnalysis<'a, 'b: 'a> {
/// Remaining calls to external functions that need to be analyzed.
worklist: Worklist<'a>,
isolated_returns: Arc<IsolatedReturns<'a>>,
project: &'a Project,
pi_result: &'a PointerInference<'b>,
/// Used to collect CWE warnings sent by the analyses for inidividual calls.
cwe_collector: crossbeam_channel::Receiver<CweWarning>,
/// Given to analyses for inidividual calls to send their CWE warnings.
cwe_sender_proto: crossbeam_channel::Sender<CweWarning>,
}
impl<'a, 'b: 'a> CweAnalysis<'a, 'b> {
/// Creates a new CWE252 analysis for the given project and configuration.
fn new(analysis_results: &'a AnalysisResults<'b>, config: Config) -> Self {
let channel = crossbeam_channel::unbounded();
let cfg = analysis_results.control_flow_graph;
Self {
worklist: Worklist::new(analysis_results, &config.into_symbols()),
isolated_returns: Arc::new(get_isolated_returns(cfg)),
project: analysis_results.project,
pi_result: analysis_results.pointer_inference.unwrap(),
cwe_collector: channel.1,
cwe_sender_proto: channel.0,
}
}
/// Pops a call of the worklist and returns the taint analysis definition
/// for it.
fn next_call_ctx(
&mut self,
) -> Option<(IsolatedReturnAnalysis<'_>, TaComputationContext<'_, 'b>)> {
self.worklist.calls.pop_front().map(|call| {
(
IsolatedReturnAnalysis::new(
call,
Arc::clone(&self.isolated_returns),
self.project,
self.cwe_sender_proto.clone(),
),
TaComputationContext::new(
call,
self.project,
self.pi_result,
&self.cwe_sender_proto,
),
)
})
}
/// Runs the CWE252 analysis and returns the generated warnings.
fn run(mut self) -> (Vec<LogMessage>, Vec<CweWarning>) {
while let Some((isolated_returns, ta_comp_ctx)) = self.next_call_ctx() {
let mut ta_comp = ta_comp_ctx.into_computation();
ta_comp.compute_with_max_steps(100);
isolated_returns.analyze(&ta_comp);
}
(
Vec::new(),
self.cwe_collector
.try_iter()
// FIXME: It would be nice to preerve all reasons during
// deduplication.
.map(|msg| (msg.tids.clone(), msg))
.collect::<BTreeMap<_, _>>()
.into_values()
.collect(),
)
}
}
fn generate_cwe_warning(
sender: &crossbeam_channel::Sender<CweWarning>,
call: &MustUseCall<'_>,
warning_location: &Tid,
reason: &str,
) {
let taint_source = call.jmp;
let taint_source_name = call.get_symbol_name();
let cwe_warning = CweWarning::new(
CWE_MODULE.name,
CWE_MODULE.version,
format!(
"(Unchecked Return Value) There is no check of the return value of {} ({}).",
taint_source.tid.address, taint_source_name
),
)
.addresses(vec![
taint_source.tid.address.clone(),
warning_location.address.clone(),
])
.tids(vec![
format!("{}", taint_source.tid),
format!("{}", warning_location),
])
.symbols(vec![taint_source_name])
.other(vec![vec![format!("reason={}", reason.to_string())]]);
sender
.send(cwe_warning)
.expect("CWE252: failed to send CWE warning");
}
/// CWE-252: Unchecked Return Value.
pub fn check_cwe(
analysis_results: &AnalysisResults,
cwe_params: &serde_json::Value,
) -> (Vec<LogMessage>, Vec<CweWarning>) {
let config: Config =
serde_json::from_value(cwe_params.clone()).expect("CWE252: invalid configuration");
CweAnalysis::new(analysis_results, config).run()
}