Secure Programming with Static Analysis

The First Expert Guide to Static Analysis for Software Security!

Creating secure code requires more than just good intentions. Programmers need to know that their code will be safe in an almost infinite number of scenarios and configurations. Static source code analysis gives users the ability to review their work with a fine-toothed comb and uncover the kinds of errors that lead directly to security vulnerabilities. Now, there’s a complete guide to static analysis: how it works, how to integrate it into the software development processes, and how to make the most of it during security code review. Static analysis experts Brian Chess and Jacob West look at the most common types of security defects that occur today. They illustrate main points using Java and C code examples taken from real-world security incidents, showing how coding errors are exploited, how they could have been prevented, and how static analysis can rapidly uncover similar mistakes. This book is for everyone concerned with building more secure software: developers, security engineers, analysts, and testers.

Coverage includes:

  Why conventional bug-catching often misses security problems

  How static analysis can help programmers get security right

  The critical attributes and algorithms that make or break a static analysis tool

  36 techniques for making static analysis more effective on your code

  More than 70 types of serious security vulnerabilities, with specific solutions

  Example vulnerabilities from Firefox, OpenSSH, MySpace, eTrade, Apache httpd, and many more

  Techniques for handling untrusted input

  Eliminating buffer overflows: tactical and strategic approaches

  Avoiding errors specific to Web applications, Web services, and Ajax

  Security-aware logging, debugging, and error/exception handling

  Creating, maintaining, and sharing secrets and confidential information

  Detailed tutorials that walk you through the static analysis process

“We designed Java so that it could be analyzed statically. This book shows you how to apply advanced static analysis techniques to create more secure, more reliable software.”

–Bill Joy, Co-founder of Sun Microsystems, co-inventor of the Java programming language

“'Secure Programming with Static Analysis' is a great primer on static analysis for security-minded developers and security practitioners. Well-written, easy to read, tells you what you need to know.”

–David Wagner, Associate Professor, University of California Berkeley

“Software developers are the first and best line of defense for the security of their code. This book gives them the security development knowledge and the tools they need in order to eliminate vulnerabilities before they move into the final products that can be exploited.”

–Howard A. Schmidt, Former White House Cyber Security Advisor

BRIAN CHESS is Founder and Chief Scientist of Fortify Software, where his research focuses on practical methods for creating secure systems. He holds a Ph.D. in Computer Engineering from University of California Santa Cruz, where he studied the application of static analysis to finding security-related code defects.

JACOB WEST manages Fortify Software’s Security Research Group, which is responsible for building security knowledge into Fortify’s products. He brings expertise in numerous programming languages, frameworks, and styles together with deep knowledge about how real-world systems fail.

CD contains a working demonstration version of Fortify Software’s Source Code Analysis (SCA) product; extensive Java and C code samples; and the tutorial chapters from the book in PDF format.

Part I: Software Security and Static Analysis        1

1          The Software Security Problem          3

2          Introduction to Static Analysis 21

3          Static Analysis as Part of the Code Review Process    47

4          Static Analysis Internals          71

Part II: Pervasive Problems            115

5          Handling Input 117

6          Buffer Overflow           175

7          Bride of Buffer Overflow         235

8          Errors and Exceptions  265

Part III: Features and Flavors         295

9          Web Applications        297

10         XML and Web Services           349

11         Privacy and Secrets     379

12         Privileged Programs    421

Part IV: Static Analysis in Practice  457

13         Source Code Analysis Exercises for Java        459

14         Source Code Analysis Exercises for C 503

Epilogue          541

References      545

Index   559

Brian Chess is a founder of Fortify Software. He currently serves as Fortify’s Chief Scientist, where his work focuses on practical methods for creating secure systems. Brian holds a Ph.D. in Computer Engineering from the University of California at Santa Cruz, where he studied the application of static analysis to the problem of finding security-relevant defects in source code. Before settling on security, Brian spent a decade in Silicon Valley working at huge companies and small startups. He has done research on a broad set of topics, ranging from integrated circuit design all the way to delivering software as a service. He lives in Mountain View, California.

Jacob West manages Fortify Software’s Security Research Group, which is responsible for building security knowledge into Fortify’s products. Jacob brings expertise in numerous programming languages, frameworks, and styles together with knowledge about how real-world systems can fail. Before joining Fortify, Jacob worked with Professor David Wagner at the

University of California at Berkeley to develop MOPS (MOdel Checking Programs for Security properties), a static analysis tool used to discover security vulnerabilities in C programs. When he is away from the keyboard, Jacob spends time speaking at conferences and working with customers to advance their understanding of software security. He lives in San Francisco, California.