Errno not reset

errno not reset before calling a function that sets errno

Description

This defect occurs when you do not reset errno before calling a function that sets errno to indicate error conditions. However, you check errno for those error conditions after the function call.

Risk

An errno-setting function sets errno to nonzero values to indicate error conditions.

If you do not set errno to zero before calling an errno-setting function,a nonzero value of errno might be left over from a previous call to an errno-setting function. Using errno to check errors can then lead you to falsely conclude that an error occurred from the most recent call.

errno is set to 0 at program startup but is not automatically reset after an error occurs. You must explicitly set errno to 0 when required.

Fix

Before calling a function that sets errno to indicate error conditions, reset errno to zero explicitly.

Examples

errno Not Reset Before Call to strtod

#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <errno.h>
#include <float.h>

#define fatal_error() abort()

double func(const char *s1, const char *s2)
{
    double f1;
    f1 =  strtod (s1, NULL);      
    if (0 == errno) {        
      double f2 = strtod (s2, NULL); 
        if (0 == errno) {        
            long double result = (long double)f1 + f2;
            if ((result <= (long double)DBL_MAX) && (result >= (long double)-DBL_MAX)) 
				  {
                return (double)result;
            }
        }
    }
    fatal_error();
    return 0.0;
}

In this example, errno is not reset to 0 before the first call to strtod. Checking errno for 0 later can lead to a false positive.

Correction — Reset errno Before Call

One possible correction is to reset errno to 0 before calling strtod.

#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <errno.h>
#include <float.h>

#define fatal_error() abort()

double func(const char *s1, const char *s2)
{
    double f1;
    errno = 0;                   
    f1 = strtod (s1, NULL);
    if (0 == errno) {            
      double f2 = strtod (s2, NULL);  
        if (0 == errno) {       
            long double result = (long double)f1 + f2;
            if ((result <= (long double)DBL_MAX) && (result >= (long double)-DBL_MAX)) 
  			{
                return (double)result;
            }
        }
    }
    fatal_error();
    return 0.0;
}

Result Information

Group: Programming

Language: C | C++

Default: On for handwritten code, off for generated code

Command-Line Syntax: MISSING_ERRNO_RESET

Impact: High

Version History

Introduced in R2017a

R2024a: Defect location changed and more functions covered

Starting R2024a, the defect appears on the call to an errno-setting function if you do not set errno to zero before the call but test errno for error conditions after the call. Previously, instead of the function call, the defect appeared on the subsequent test of errno.

The checker also covers a wider range of errno-setting functions.