Integer Overflow

Arithmetic that silently wraps past its maximum, turning size checks into lies.

Specifications & Metrics

cwe

CWE-190

impact

Memory corruption, logic bypass

Core Principles & Analysis

• A length that wraps to a tiny number passes the bounds check, then under-allocates the buffer.
• Ariane 5’s maiden flight was destroyed in 1996 after a 64-to-16-bit conversion overflowed.
• Compilers treating signed overflow as undefined can silently delete the very checks meant to catch it.