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Application & OT Security · Intermediate

Banned Functions

Unsafe library functions that a secure coding standard prohibits because they commonly cause vulnerabilities.

Definition

In C and C++, examples include gets, strcpy, strcat and sprintf, which do not check buffer bounds. Microsoft's SDL publishes a banned API list. Compilers, linters and SAST tools can flag or block their use.

Example

Replacing strcpy with strncpy_s or a bounded string library.

Exam tip

Banned function lists are a secure coding standard control for memory safety in C/C++.

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