feat(binary): detect memcpy/memmove with a non-constant length (#151)

* test(binary): RED — no rule for memcpy/memmove with a non-constant length

Adds two corpus fixtures + direct assertions for a memcpy/memmove sink:
- memcpy-wire-length (bad): a wire-decoded length into a fixed buffer,
  expect B-MEMCPY. Fails on main — the ruleset has no memcpy rule.
- memcpy-bounded-control (clean): two safe memcpys (sizeof-bounded + a
  constant length). This forces a DISCRIMINATING rule: a naive /memcpy/
  match false-positives here and fails the zero-false-positive gate.

Refs #150

* feat(binary): detect memcpy/memmove with a non-constant length

Adds B-MEMCPY to the decompiled-vuln ruleset — the classic unbounded-copy
overflow. The framework's own reasoning layer treats this as its textbook
target (src/orchestration/prompts.ts:60,80 — 'a wire-controlled length flowing
into an unchecked memcpy'; orchestration/index.ts:11), but the static
pre-filter had no rule for it: strcpy was covered, its memcpy(dst, src, len)
sibling was not.

The rule inspects the length (3rd) argument and fires only when it is
non-constant — a variable, struct field, deref, or computed/decoded value —
staying silent on a sizeof(...) or numeric-literal length. Validated against a
22-case dangerous/safe matrix (perfect discrimination). Corpus 6+2 -> 7+3; the
new sizeof/constant-bounded control keeps the rule honest — a bare /memcpy/
match would false-positive on it.

Closes #150

* fix(binary): stop B-MEMCPY false-positive on nested-call args; disclose limits

Adversarial review found a real false positive: a comma inside a nested call in
arg 1/2 (memcpy(dst, get_src(a,b), sizeof(dst))) mis-split the naive
[^,]+,[^,]+, arg list, so a sizeof-BOUNDED call fired. Restricting args 1-2 to
[^,()]+ (paren-free) removes it — verified the bounded nested-call form is now
silent while every common non-constant length still fires. The trade is a
memcpy whose 1st/2nd arg is itself a call is not matched (an acceptable miss for
a directional pre-filter, now disclosed).

Rule comment rewritten to honestly enumerate the directional misses (leading-
digit computed length, sizeof-plus-term, nested-call args, inline comments,
__memcpy_chk/memcpy_s/wmemcpy variants). Test expanded into an in-tree
discrimination matrix (fires / silent / pinned disclosed-limit cases) so the
scope boundary is auditable and any future tightening surfaces deliberately.

Refs #150

* fix(binary): match pointer casts in B-MEMCPY args; correct disclosed limits

A second adversarial pass on the shipped rule caught that the previous
paren-free tightening ([^,()]+) over-corrected: it also stopped matching
pointer CASTS on args 1-2 — memcpy((void *)dst, (void *)src, len) — which are
the most common memcpy shape in real decompiled output. The rule was silently
missing the main case.

Replace the arg matcher with one level of BALANCED parens,
(?:[^,()]|\([^()]*\))+, so a cast (void *)dst and a comma-bearing call
get(a,b) are each consumed as ONE arg. This fires on casts again, still fires on
a call-bearing arg with a non-constant length (now a true positive, previously a
disclosed miss), and keeps the original nested-call-with-bounded-length false
positive silent. Verified no catastrophic backtracking on pathological input.

Also corrects the disclosed-limits comment: the previous 'arg is itself a call'
miss is now only DOUBLY-nested parens, and the inline-comment note was
backwards (a comment obscuring a sizeof/literal false-fires, it does not cause a
miss) — restated accurately, with decompiled output not emitting inline comments
noted. Tests pin the cast fires and the variant exclusions.

Refs #150
This commit is contained in:
Lyubomir Bozhinov authored and GitHub committed 2026-08-12 13:28:55 -04:00
1 parent afc9dad1b2
commit 6d4e01756a
3 files changed
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+14
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@@ -43,6 +43,20 @@
"expect": ["B-SPRINTF"],
"content": "void fmt(char *input) {\n char b[16];\n sprintf(b, \"%s\", input);\n}\n"
},
{
"id": "memcpy-wire-length",
"desc": "memcpy with an attacker/wire-controlled length (unchecked) — buffer overflow",
"clean": false,
"expect": ["B-MEMCPY"],
"content": "void parse(char *pkt) {\n char buf[128];\n unsigned len = ntohl(*(unsigned *)pkt);\n memcpy(buf, pkt + 4, len);\n}\n"
},
{
"id": "memcpy-bounded-control",
"desc": "Safe control — memcpy bounded by sizeof and by a constant length",
"clean": true,
"expect": [],
"content": "void copy(char *src) {\n char dst[64];\n memcpy(dst, src, sizeof(dst));\n char hdr[4];\n memcpy(hdr, src, 4);\n}\n"
},
{
"id": "bounded-control",
"desc": "Safe control — bounded strncpy/snprintf/fgets",
+18
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@@ -26,6 +26,24 @@ export const RULES = [
{ id: 'B-FORMAT-STRING', desc: 'printf(var) — user-controlled format string', test: rx(/\bf?printf\s*\(\s*[a-zA-Z_]\w*\s*\)/) },
{ id: 'B-CMD-INJECTION', desc: 'system()/popen() on a variable — command injection', test: rx(/\b(system|popen)\s*\(\s*[a-zA-Z_]\w*/) },
{ id: 'B-INT-OVERFLOW', desc: 'malloc/calloc with multiplication — integer-overflow alloc size', test: rx(/\b(malloc|calloc|alloca|realloc)\s*\([^)]*\*/) },
// Inspects the length (3rd) arg: fires when it begins with a variable / field /
// deref / decoded value (`len`, `hdr->len`, `ntohl(hdr->len)`) and stays silent
// when it begins with a `sizeof` expression or a numeric literal. Two subtleties:
// the `[^)\s]` after the lookahead is load-bearing — without it `\s*` backtracks
// onto whitespace and bounded forms leak through; and args 1-2 are matched with a
// single level of BALANCED parens `(?:[^,()]|\([^()]*\))+` so a cast `(void *)dst`
// and a comma-bearing call `get(a,b)` are each consumed as ONE arg — neither
// mis-splits the list (the original naive `[^,]+` split on the comma inside a
// call and false-fired on a bounded length). Directional static pre-filter, not
// taint analysis — disclosed misses (silently NOT flagged): a computed length
// that starts with a digit (`8*count`) or with `sizeof` plus a term
// (`sizeof(x)+n`), and a 1st/2nd arg with a DOUBLY-nested paren
// (`wrap(get(a,b))`). The `__memcpy_chk`/`memcpy_s`/`wmemcpy` variants are out of
// scope (the `\b...\(` shape); the `_chk` form is usually the bounded, safe one.
// Comments aren't stripped: a mid-argument `/* ... */` obscuring a sizeof/literal
// length would false-fire, but decompiled output does not emit inline comments.
// Decompiled output inlines constants, so a named-macro length does not arise.
{ id: 'B-MEMCPY', desc: 'memcpy()/memmove() with a non-constant length — candidate overflow from an unchecked/wire-controlled size', test: rx(/\b(?:memcpy|memmove)\s*\((?:[^,()]|\([^()]*\))+,\s*(?:[^,()]|\([^()]*\))+,\s*(?!\d|sizeof\b)[^)\s][^)]*\)/) },
];
export function loadCorpus() {
+41
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@@ -32,9 +32,50 @@ describe('binary/RE decompiled-vuln benchmark', () => {
expect(detect('printf(user);').has('B-FORMAT-STRING')).toBe(true);
});
it('flags memcpy/memmove with a non-constant length, not a bounded one', () => {
const fires = (c: string) => expect(detect(c).has('B-MEMCPY'), c).toBe(true);
const silent = (c: string) => expect(detect(c).has('B-MEMCPY'), c).toBe(false);
// fires on a variable / field / deref / wire-decoded / cast length
fires('memcpy(buf, pkt + 4, len);');
fires('memcpy(dst, src, hdr->len);');
fires('memcpy(dst, src, ntohl(hdr->len));');
fires('memmove(d, s, n);');
fires('memcpy(&d, s, (size_t)len);');
fires('memcpy(&local_38, param_1, size);');
// pointer casts on args 1-2 are the common decompiled shape — must still fire
fires('memcpy((void *)dst, src, len);');
fires('memmove((uint8_t *)dst, (uint8_t *)src, len);');
fires('memcpy((char *)dst + 4, src, len);');
// a comma-bearing call in an arg is consumed as one arg, so a non-constant
// length after it is still caught
fires('memcpy(get_dst(a,b), src, len);');
// silent when the length is sizeof-bounded or a numeric literal — this is what
// forces a discriminating rule rather than a bare /memcpy/ match
silent('memcpy(dst, src, sizeof(dst));');
silent('memcpy(hdr, src, 4);');
silent('memcpy(dst, src, 0x40);');
silent('memcpy(dst, src, sizeof(struct hdr));');
// a comma inside a nested call must NOT mis-split the arg list and false-fire
// on a bounded sizeof length; casts on args 1-2 must not either
silent('memcpy(dst, get_src(a,b), sizeof(dst));');
silent('memcpy((void *)dst, (void *)src, sizeof(dst));');
// Disclosed directional limits (see the rule comment): these non-constant
// lengths are NOT flagged — pinned here so the scope boundary is auditable and
// any future tightening surfaces as a deliberate change, not a silent one.
silent('memcpy(d, s, 8 * count);'); // leading-digit computed length
silent('memcpy(d, s, sizeof(x) + n);'); // sizeof plus a variable term
silent('memcpy(dst, wrap(get(a,b)), len);'); // doubly-nested paren in an arg
silent('__memcpy_chk(dst, src, len, dn);'); // _chk variant (usually bounded)
silent('wmemcpy(dst, src, len);'); // wide-char variant
});
it('ruleset spans memory-safety + injection + integer-overflow', () => {
expect(RULES.length).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(6);
expect(RULES.some((r) => r.id === 'B-CMD-INJECTION')).toBe(true);
expect(RULES.some((r) => r.id === 'B-INT-OVERFLOW')).toBe(true);
expect(RULES.some((r) => r.id === 'B-MEMCPY')).toBe(true);
});
});