Abstracting Strings for Model Checking of C Programs

J 2020

Abstracting Strings for Model Checking of C Programs

LAUKO, Henrich, Martina OLLIARO, Agostino CORTESI and Petr ROČKAI

Basic information

Original name

Abstracting Strings for Model Checking of C Programs

Authors

LAUKO, Henrich (703 Slovakia, belonging to the institution), Martina OLLIARO (380 Italy, belonging to the institution), Agostino CORTESI (380 Italy) and Petr ROČKAI (203 Czech Republic, belonging to the institution)

Edition

Applied Sciences, Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, 2020, 2076-3417

Other information

Language

English

Type of outcome

Článek v odborném periodiku

Field of Study

10200 1.2 Computer and information sciences

Country of publisher

Switzerland

Confidentiality degree

není předmětem státního či obchodního tajemství

References:

URL

Impact factor

Impact factor: 2.679

RIV identification code

RIV/00216224:14330/20:00114537

Organization unit

Faculty of Informatics

DOI

http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/app10217853

UT WoS

000588870800001

Keywords in English

string analysis; model checking; abstract interpretation; abstract domain

Abstract

V originále

Data type abstraction plays a crucial role in software verification. In this paper, we introduce a domain for abstracting strings in the C programming language, where strings are managed as null-terminated arrays of characters. The new domain M-String is parametrized on an index (bound) domain and a character domain. By means of these different constituent domains, M-Strings captures shape information on the array structure as well as value information on the characters occurring in the string. By tuning these two parameters, M-String can be easily tailored for specific verification tasks, balancing precision against complexity. The concrete and the abstract semantics of basic operations on strings are carefully formalized, and soundness proofs are fully detailed. Moreover, for a selection of functions contained in the standard C library, we provide the semantics for character access and update, enabling an automatic lifting of arbitrary string-manipulating code into our new domain. An implementation of abstract operations is provided within a tool that automatically lifts existing programs into the M-String domain along with an explicit-state model checker. The accuracy of the proposed domain is experimentally evaluated on real-case test programs, showing that M-String can efficiently detect real-world bugs as well as to prove that program does not contain them after they are fixed.

Links

GA18-02177S, research and development project

Name: Abstrakce a jiné techniky v semi-symbolické verifikaci programů

Investor: Czech Science Foundation

Citovat

LAUKO, Henrich, Martina OLLIARO, Agostino CORTESI and Petr ROČKAI. Abstracting Strings for Model Checking of C Programs. Applied Sciences. Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, 2020, vol. 10, No 21, p. 1-33. ISSN 2076-3417. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.3390/app10217853.

@article{1704118,
   author = {Lauko, Henrich and Olliaro, Martina and Cortesi, Agostino and Ročkai, Petr},
   article_number = {21},
   doi = {http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/app10217853},
   keywords = {string analysis; model checking; abstract interpretation; abstract domain},
   language = {eng},
   issn = {2076-3417},
   journal = {Applied Sciences},
   title = {Abstracting Strings for Model Checking of C Programs},
   url = {https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/10/21/7853},
   volume = {10},
   year = {2020}
}

TY  - JOUR
ID  - 1704118
AU  - Lauko, Henrich - Olliaro, Martina - Cortesi, Agostino - Ročkai, Petr
PY  - 2020
TI  - Abstracting Strings for Model Checking of C Programs
JF  - Applied Sciences
VL  - 10
IS  - 21
SP  - 1-33
EP  - 1-33
PB  - Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute
SN  - 20763417
KW  - string analysis
KW  - model checking
KW  - abstract interpretation
KW  - abstract domain
UR  - https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/10/21/7853
N2  - Data type abstraction plays a crucial role in software verification. In this paper, we introduce a domain for abstracting strings in the C programming language, where strings are managed as null-terminated arrays of characters. The new domain M-String is parametrized on an index (bound) domain and a character domain. By means of these different constituent domains, M-Strings captures shape information on the array structure as well as value information on the characters occurring in the string. By tuning these two parameters, M-String can be easily tailored for specific verification tasks, balancing precision against complexity. The concrete and the abstract semantics of basic operations on strings are carefully formalized, and soundness proofs are fully detailed. Moreover, for a selection of functions contained in the standard C library, we provide the semantics for character access and update, enabling an automatic lifting of arbitrary string-manipulating code into our new domain. An implementation of abstract operations is provided within a tool that automatically lifts existing programs into the M-String domain along with an explicit-state model checker. The accuracy of the proposed domain is experimentally evaluated on real-case test programs, showing that M-String can efficiently detect real-world bugs as well as to prove that program does not contain them after they are fixed.
ER  -

LAUKO, Henrich, Martina OLLIARO, Agostino CORTESI and Petr ROČKAI. Abstracting Strings for Model Checking of C Programs. \textit{Applied Sciences}. Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, 2020, vol.~10, No~21, p.~1-33. ISSN~2076-3417. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.3390/app10217853.

Detailed Information on Publication Record