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Too Cool For Secure Code
Jon Lasser, 2003-03-26

Until Unix and Linux programmers get over their macho love for low-level programming languages, the security holes will continue to flow freely.

Comments Mode:
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-26
Anonymous (3 replies)
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-27
Anonymous
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-28
DrNerdware
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-28
Anonymous
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-26
Anonymous (4 replies)
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-27
Anonymous (1 replies)
The sort of bugs discussed in the article are not due to badly designed protocols, but rather shoddily implemented algorithms. The author's thesis is that many of these bugs arise because the tools of choice are, in fact, very weak.

If you code in C/C++ then

(a) you immerse yourself in a swamp of quite peripheral and hard-to-get-right bookkeeping detail,

(b) have to build a problem specific representation from the ground up with pretty much nothing in the way of abstraction tools (please don't suggest templates and classes...), and

(c) are working in a language that is more than happy to both *not* tell you when a program may do something stupid (e.g. buffer overflow or illegal cast) *and* leaves your program semantics undefined in such a case.

Good grief.

There are dozens of languages out there that are efficient, economical and high level. Check out OCaml, Mercury, Haskell, Eiffel and so forth. Yes, these languages are industrial strength. Some of them even have visual studio integration if that's your bag.

[ reply ]

Link to this comment: http://www.securityfocus.com/comments/columns/150/18832#18832
Don't Forget Ada! 2003-04-02
StealthBadger
Solving the problem 2003-03-27
Peter Ross
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-27
Anonymous
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-27
Anonymous (1 replies)
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-04-07
jhon blacken
That's the wrong attitude. 2003-03-26
Anonymous (26 replies)
That's the wrong attitude. 2003-03-27
Anonymous
Secure languages? 2003-03-27
Anonymous
That's the wrong attitude. 2003-03-27
Anonymous
That's the wrong attitude. 2003-03-27
dbtid (1 replies)
That's the wrong attitude. 2003-03-27
Anonymous
ok but... 2003-03-27
SeJo
Re: That's the wrong attitude. 2003-03-27
George Barbarosie
That's the wrong attitude. 2003-03-27
Listener
Tools matter 2003-03-27
Jon
You are an idiot (or a troll). 2003-03-27
Anonymous
That's the wrong attitude. 2003-03-27
Anonymous
Re: That's the wrong attitude. 2003-03-27
CondorDes
That's the wrong attitude. 2003-03-27
Anonymous
Re:That's the wrong attitude. 2003-03-27
Anonymous
That's the wrong attitude. 2003-03-28
Anonymous
That's the wrong attitude. 2003-03-28
DrNerdware
That's the wrong attitude. 2003-03-28
Anonymous
Obsolete thinking. 2003-03-28
Anonymous
That's the wrong attitude. 2003-03-28
Anonymous
That's the wrong attitude. 2003-03-28
Anonymous
That's the wrong attitude. 2003-03-28
Anonymous
That's the wrong attitude. 2003-03-28
Anonymous
Type safety is good 2003-03-28
Anonymous
I totally agree 2003-04-08
Anonymous
Nonsense 2003-03-26
Anonymous
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-26
Anonymous
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-26
Anonymous
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-26
Anonymous
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-26
Anonymous (1 replies)
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-26
Anonymous
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-26
Anonymous
Slow news day? 2003-03-27
TJ Miller jr
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-27
Marion De Liau (1 replies)
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-31
Anonymous
Strong Typing, etc. 2003-03-27
RC
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-27
Anonymous
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-27
Anonymous
Right idea, wrong solution 2003-03-27
Anonymous
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-27
Fra. 219
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-27
Anonymous
so pilots can't really fly? 2003-03-27
Anonymous
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-27
Anonymous
Work at a C shop guys? 2003-03-27
Anonymous
Oh Boy 2003-03-27
Anonymous
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-27
Anonymous
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-27
Anonymous
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-27
Anonymous
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-27
Anonymous
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-27
Shawn
This is exactly right. 2003-03-27
Anonymous
Johnathan Lasser Isn't a a Programmer 2003-03-27
Someone Who Actually Writes Code (1 replies)
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-27
Das Megabyte (1 replies)
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-04-08
ibanix
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-27
Anonymous
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-27
Tirs
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-27
Dave
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-27
Ivan Vecerina
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-27
Anonymous
Crap 2003-03-27
terber
christ, what a whinger 2003-03-27
mark hahn (hahn@mcmaster.ca)
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-27
Anonymous
Syte and Methodology not the Tool 2003-03-27
Anonymous
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-27
Anonymous
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-27
Anonymous
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-27
Anonymous
I Dont Think So 2003-03-27
Randy LeJeune
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-27
X-Nc
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-27
Kirk Rafferty (kirk_at_rafferty.org)
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-27
Anonymous
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-27
Anonymous
Things should change 2003-03-27
Matthew B
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-27
Anonymous
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-27
Anonymous
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-27
Anonymous
I agree entirely 2003-03-27
Iain Collins (iain_collins@mac.com)
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-27
Anonymous
Thats the _right_ attitude 2003-03-27
Anonymous
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-27
Anonymous
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-27
Anonymous
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-27
Anonymous
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-27
Anonymous
Bad code is a result of a poor development process 2003-03-27
c0d3cr33p@hotmail.com
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-27
Synonymous
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-27
Anonymous
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-27
Anonymous
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-27
Anonymous
simply sloppy programming 2003-03-27
rishab
Its not macho love its SKILLS! 2003-03-27
Anonymous
Silly 2003-03-27
Anonymous
Boo. 2003-03-27
Anonymous
(sigh) 2003-03-27
grey
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-27
Anonymous
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-27
Anonymous
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-27
Anonymous
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-27
Anonymous
I agree 2003-03-27
Anonymous
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-27
Anonymous
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-27
Anonymous
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-27
Anonymous
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-27
Anonymous
Java as a solution 2003-03-27
Anonymous
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-27
Anonymous
MS security much worse. 2003-03-27
Ron
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-27
Anonymous
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-27
Anonymous
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-27
Anonymous
No.. No.. No.. 2003-03-27
Anonymous
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-27
Anonymous
Too cool for secure code 2003-03-27
Ben
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-27
Anonymous
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-27
Anonymous
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-27
Anonymous
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-27
Anonymous
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-27
Anonymous
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-27
Anonymous
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-27
Anonymous
Partially true 2003-03-27
Anonymous
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-28
Anonymous
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-28
Anonymous
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-28
Anonymous
Couldn't agree more 2003-03-28
Anonymous
Software responsibilities 2003-03-28
Anonymous
Blame the coder, not the language 2003-03-28
Anonymous
Alternatives? 2003-03-28
Anonymous
Too Cool For Tested Code? 2003-03-28
Werm
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-28
Lee Reynolds
Stupidest piece I have ever read. 2003-03-28
Anonymous
Too Cool? No, not really. 2003-03-28
clee
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-28
Anonymous
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-28
Anonymous
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-28
Angelos Karageorgiou
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-28
Philips
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-28
Anonymous
Way Kewl For Secure Code 2003-03-28
fnaaijkens@ultihouse.com
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-28
Anonymous
For what it's worth, RPC wasn't 2003-03-28
Anonymous
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-28
vijeno <vijen0@yahoo.com>
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-28
Anonymous
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-28
Anonymous
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-28
Anonymous
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-28
Anonymous
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-28
Anonymous
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-28
Anonymous
Re: Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-28
Anonymous
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-29
Anonymous
That was a joke ? 2003-03-29
Anonymous
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-29
blacklight
I Agree 2003-03-29
LesPaul
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-29
Not Really Anonymous
Too Cool For Secure Code - USE VB! 2003-03-30
Anonymous (1 replies)
goto india; 2003-03-30
mummer the bard
Portability, efficentcy, hot air 2003-03-31
jthomas@poweronemedia.com
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-03-31
G. Bailey Childs
Too Cool For Secure Code 2003-04-01
Anonymous (1 replies)
Too Cool For Secure Code -- Only Unix and Linux? 2003-04-02
winklessd@netscape.com
This is so funny - linux on linux battle 2003-04-02
Anonymous (1 replies)
This is so funny - linux on linux battle 2003-04-03
Anonymous (1 replies)







 

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