The C Standard, 7.23.5.3, paragraph 7 [ISO/IEC 9899:2024], places the following restrictions on update streams:

When a file is opened with update mode . . ., both input and output may be performed on the associated stream. However, output shall not be directly followed by input without an intervening call to the fflush function or to a file positioning function (fseek, fsetpos, or rewind), and input shall not be directly followed by output without an intervening call to a file positioning function, unless the input operation encounters end-of-file. Opening (or creating) a text file with update mode may instead open (or create) a binary stream in some implementations.

The following scenarios can result in undefined behavior. (See undefined behavior 156.)

  •  Receiving input from a stream directly following an output to that stream without an intervening call to fflush(), fseek(), fsetpos(), or rewind() if the file is not at end-of-file
  •  Outputting to a stream after receiving input from that stream without a call to fseek(), fsetpos(), or rewind() if the file is not at end-of-file

Noncompliant Code Example

This noncompliant code example appends data to a file and then reads from the same file:

#include <stdio.h>
 
enum { BUFFERSIZE = 32 };

extern void initialize_data(char *data, size_t size);
 
void func(const char *file_name) {
  char data[BUFFERSIZE];
  char append_data[BUFFERSIZE];
  FILE *file;

  file = fopen(file_name, "a+");
  if (file == NULL) {
    /* Handle error */
  }
 
  initialize_data(append_data, BUFFERSIZE);

  if (fwrite(append_data, 1, BUFFERSIZE, file) != BUFFERSIZE) {
    /* Handle error */
  }
  if (fread(data, 1, BUFFERSIZE, file) < BUFFERSIZE) {
    /* Handle there not being data */
  }

  if (fclose(file) == EOF) {
    /* Handle error */
  }
}

Because there is no intervening flush or positioning call between the calls to fread() and fwrite(), the behavior is undefined.

Compliant Solution

In this compliant solution, fseek() is called between the output and input, eliminating the undefined behavior:

#include <stdio.h>
 
enum { BUFFERSIZE = 32 };
extern void initialize_data(char *data, size_t size);
 
void func(const char *file_name) {
  char data[BUFFERSIZE];
  char append_data[BUFFERSIZE];
  FILE *file;

  file = fopen(file_name, "a+");
  if (file == NULL) {
    /* Handle error */
  }

  initialize_data(append_data, BUFFERSIZE);
  if (fwrite(append_data, BUFFERSIZE, 1, file) != BUFFERSIZE) {
    /* Handle error */
  }

  if (fseek(file, 0L, SEEK_SET) != 0) {
    /* Handle error */
  }

  if (fread(data, BUFFERSIZE, 1, file) != 0) {
    /* Handle there not being data */
  }

  if (fclose(file) == EOF) {
    /* Handle error */
  }
}

Risk Assessment

Alternately inputting and outputting from a stream without an intervening flush or positioning call is undefined behavior.

Rule

Severity

Likelihood

Remediation Cost

Priority

Level

FIO39-C

Low

Likely

Medium

P6

L2

Automated Detection

Tool

Version

Checker

Description

Astrée
24.04

Supported, but no explicit checker
Axivion Bauhaus Suite

7.2.0

CertC-FIO39
CodeSonar
8.1p0

IO.IOWOP
IO.OIWOP

Input After Output Without Positioning
Output After Input Without Positioning

Compass/ROSE

Can detect simple violations of this rule

Helix QAC

2024.3

DF4711, DF4712, DF4713


Klocwork

2024.3

CERT.FIO.NO_FLUSH


LDRA tool suite
9.7.1

84 D

Fully implemented
Parasoft C/C++test

2023.1

CERT_C-FIO39-a

Do not alternately input and output from a stream without an intervening flush or positioning call
PC-lint Plus

1.4

2478, 2479

Fully supported

Polyspace Bug Finder

R2024a

CERT C: Rule FIO39-CChecks for alternating input and output from a stream without flush or positioning call (rule fully covered)

Related Vulnerabilities

Search for vulnerabilities resulting from the violation of this rule on the CERT website.

Related Guidelines

Key here (explains table format and definitions)

Taxonomy

Taxonomy item

Relationship

CERT CFIO50-CPP. Do not alternately input and output from a file stream without an intervening positioning callPrior to 2018-01-12: CERT: Unspecified Relationship
ISO/IEC TS 17961:2013Interleaving stream inputs and outputs without a flush or positioning call [ioileave]Prior to 2018-01-12: CERT: Unspecified Relationship
CWE 2.11CWE-6642017-07-10: CERT: Rule subset of CWE

CERT-CWE Mapping Notes

Key here for mapping notes

CWE-664 and FIO39-C

CWE-664 = Union( FIO39-C, list) where list =


  • Improper use of an object (besides alternating reading/writing a file stream without an intervening flush


This CWE is vague on what constitutes “improper control of a resource”. It could include any violation of an object’s method constraints (whether they are documented or not). Or it could be narrowly interpreted to mean object creation and object destruction (which are covered by other CWEs).

Bibliography

[ISO/IEC 9899:2024]7.23.5.3, "The fopen Function"



4 Comments

  1. Some random memory is telling me that you also need to do an fseek() between a write and subsequent read...at least if you want to read the data you formerly wrote. I believe that the read in the 2nd CCE will fail b/c the file position is at EOF, right?

    1. Correct, I just tried running the code

      1. wait, you took out the fflush() call...isn't that necessary to ensure the data gets written (and subsequently read by fread()?

        1. The file positioning call is enough.

          However, output shall not be directly followed by input without an intervening call to the fflush function or to a file positioning function...