Improving Security with MISRA C and MISRA C++

摘要

No software engineering process can guarantee secure code, but following the right coding guidelines can dramatically increase the security and reliability of your code. Many embedded systems live in a world where a security breach can be catastrophic. Embedded systems control much of the world's critical infrastructure, such as dams, traffic signals, and air traffic control. These systems are increasingly communicating together using COTS networking and in many cases using the internet itself. Keeping yourself out of the courtroom, if not common decency, demands that all such systems should be developed to be secure. There are many factors that determine the security of an embedded system. A well-conceived design is crucial to the success of a project. Also, a team needs to pay attention to its development process. There are many different models of how software development ought to be done, and it is prudent to choose one that makes sense. Finally, the choice of operating system can mean the difference between a project that works well in the lab and one that works reliably for years in the real world. Even the most well thought-out design is vulnerable to flaws when the implementation falls short of the design. This paper focuses on how one can use a set of coding guidelines, called MISRA C and MISRA C++, to help root out bugs introduced during the coding stage.