Merge pull request #19001 from MathiasVP/add-uncertain-api-for-dataflow

C++: Refine `Node.asDefinition`

Author: MathiasVP

cpp/ql/lib/change-notes/2025-03-13-ascertaindef.md

@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+---
+category: feature
+---
+* Added `Node.asUncertainDefinition` and `Node.asCertainDefinition` to the `DataFlow::Node` class for querying whether a definition overwrites the entire destination buffer.

cpp/ql/lib/semmle/code/cpp/ir/dataflow/internal/DataFlowUtil.qll

@@ -313,13 +313,79 @@ class Node extends TIRDataFlowNode {
    * `n.asExpr() instanceof IncrementOperation` since the result of evaluating
    * the expression `x++` is passed to `sink`.
    */
-  Expr asDefinition() {
-    exists(StoreInstruction store |
+  Expr asDefinition() { result = this.asDefinition(_) }
+
+  /**
+   * Gets the definition associated with this node, if any.
+   *
+   * For example, consider the following example
+   * ```cpp
+   * int x = 42;     // 1
+   * x = 34;         // 2
+   * ++x;            // 3
+   * x++;            // 4
+   * x += 1;         // 5
+   * int y = x += 2; // 6
+   * ```
+   * - For (1) the result is `42`.
+   * - For (2) the result is `x = 34`.
+   * - For (3) the result is `++x`.
+   * - For (4) the result is `x++`.
+   * - For (5) the result is `x += 1`.
+   * - For (6) there are two results:
+   *   - For the definition generated by `x += 2` the result is `x += 2`
+   *   - For the definition generated by `int y = ...` the result is
+   *     also `x += 2`.
+   *
+   * For assignments, `node.asDefinition(_)` and `node.asExpr()` will both exist
+   * for the same dataflow node. However, for expression such as `x++` that
+   * both write to `x` and read the current value of `x`, `node.asDefinition(_)`
+   * will give the node corresponding to the value after the increment, and
+   * `node.asExpr()` will give the node corresponding to the value before the
+   * increment. For an example of this, consider the following:
+   *
+   * ```cpp
+   * sink(x++);
+   * ```
+   * in the above program, there will not be flow from a node `n` such that
+   * `n.asDefinition(_) instanceof IncrementOperation` to the argument of `sink`
+   * since the value passed to `sink` is the value before to the increment.
+   * However, there will be dataflow from a node `n` such that
+   * `n.asExpr() instanceof IncrementOperation` since the result of evaluating
+   * the expression `x++` is passed to `sink`.
+   *
+   * If `uncertain = false` then the definition is guaranteed to overwrite
+   * the entire buffer pointed to by the destination address of the definition.
+   * Otherwise, `uncertain = true`.
+   *
+   * For example, the write `int x; x = 42;` is guaranteed to overwrite all the
+   * bytes allocated to `x`, while the assignment `int p[10]; p[3] = 42;` has
+   * `uncertain = true` since the write will not overwrite the entire buffer
+   * pointed to by `p`.
+   */
+  Expr asDefinition(boolean uncertain) {
+    exists(StoreInstruction store, Ssa::DefinitionExt def |
       store = this.asInstruction() and
-      result = asDefinitionImpl(store)
+      result = asDefinitionImpl(store) and
+      Ssa::defToNode(this, def, _, _, _, _) and
+      if def.isCertain() then uncertain = false else uncertain = true
     )
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Gets the definition associated with this node, if this node is a certain definition.
+   *
+   * See `Node.asDefinition/1` for a description of certain and uncertain definitions.
+   */
+  Expr asCertainDefinition() { result = this.asDefinition(false) }
+
+  /**
+   * Gets the definition associated with this node, if this node is an uncertain definition.
+   *
+   * See `Node.asDefinition/1` for a description of certain and uncertain definitions.
+   */
+  Expr asUncertainDefinition() { result = this.asDefinition(true) }
+
   /**
    * Gets the indirect definition at a given indirection corresponding to this
    * node, if any.

cpp/ql/src/Security/CWE/CWE-079/CgiXss.ql

@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ module Config implements DataFlow::ConfigSig {
   predicate isBarrier(DataFlow::Node node) {
     isSink(node) and node.asExpr().getUnspecifiedType() instanceof ArithmeticType
     or
-    node.asInstruction().(StoreInstruction).getResultType() instanceof ArithmeticType
+    node.asCertainDefinition().getUnspecifiedType() instanceof ArithmeticType
   }
 }
 

cpp/ql/src/Security/CWE/CWE-114/UncontrolledProcessOperation.ql

@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ module Config implements DataFlow::ConfigSig {
   predicate isBarrier(DataFlow::Node node) {
     isSink(node) and node.asExpr().getUnspecifiedType() instanceof ArithmeticType
     or
-    node.asInstruction().(StoreInstruction).getResultType() instanceof ArithmeticType
+    node.asCertainDefinition().getUnspecifiedType() instanceof ArithmeticType
   }
 }
 

cpp/ql/src/Security/CWE/CWE-134/UncontrolledFormatString.ql

@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ module Config implements DataFlow::ConfigSig {
   predicate isBarrier(DataFlow::Node node) {
     isSink(node) and isArithmeticNonCharType(node.asExpr().getUnspecifiedType())
     or
-    isArithmeticNonCharType(node.asInstruction().(StoreInstruction).getResultType())
+    isArithmeticNonCharType(node.asCertainDefinition().getUnspecifiedType())
   }
 }
 

cpp/ql/src/Security/CWE/CWE-170/ImproperNullTerminationTainted.ql

@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ private module Config implements DataFlow::ConfigSig {
   predicate isBarrier(DataFlow::Node node) {
     isSink(node) and node.asExpr().getUnspecifiedType() instanceof ArithmeticType
     or
-    node.asInstruction().(StoreInstruction).getResultType() instanceof ArithmeticType
+    node.asCertainDefinition().getUnspecifiedType() instanceof ArithmeticType
     or
     mayAddNullTerminator(_, node.asIndirectExpr())
   }

cpp/ql/src/Security/CWE/CWE-190/ArithmeticTainted.ql

@@ -75,9 +75,11 @@ module Config implements DataFlow::ConfigSig {
   predicate isSink(DataFlow::Node sink) { isSink(sink, _, _) }
 
   predicate isBarrier(DataFlow::Node node) {
-    exists(StoreInstruction store | store = node.asInstruction() |
+    exists(StoreInstruction store, Expr e |
+      store = node.asInstruction() and e = node.asCertainDefinition()
+    |
       // Block flow to "likely small expressions"
-      bounded(store.getSourceValue().getUnconvertedResultExpression())
+      bounded(e)
       or
       // Block flow to "small types"
       store.getResultType().getUnspecifiedType().(IntegralType).getSize() <= 1