An unintimidating introduction to the dark arts of C/C++ vulnerabilities

C and C++ are considered low-level programming languages due to the machine's memory management process, which is different from high-level languages like JavaScript or Python. In C, memory management is passed to the developer, allowing for performance optimizations but also introducing unique problems such as buffer overflows, use-after-free vulnerabilities, integer overflows, and out-of-bounds reads. These vulnerabilities can be exploited in various ways, including through buffer overflow attacks, where data is written beyond the allocated buffer, or by using a variable reference after it has been freed. The consequences of these vulnerabilities can range from system crashes to disclosure of sensitive information, making it essential for developers to understand and address them. By gaining a deeper understanding of C/C++ vulnerabilities, developers can improve their overall software knowledge and take steps to prevent critical bugs in their code. Snyk's dev-first tooling provides one-click fix PRs for vulnerable open source dependencies, helping developers secure their projects with ease.