Software Plug-In identifies security vulnerabilities.

Press Release Summary:



TBsecure(TM) plug-in enables developers to see how source code performs against security vulnerabilities, fault-detection, and adherence to required quality standards. It applies CERT C secure coding rules and relays findings to TBvision, which graphically shows code quality, fault detection, and avoidance measures through call graphs, flow graphs and code review reports, enabling all users to collectively monitor implementation of security metrics in their applications.



Original Press Release:



LDRA Ships New TBsecure(TM) Complete with CERT C Secure Coding Programming Checker



Boston, MA - October 26, 2008. LDRA (Booth 1017), provider of the most complete automated software verification, source code analysis and test tools covering the full development lifecycle, has released its new TBsecure plug-in complete with the Carnegie Mellon Software Engineering Institute (SEI) CERT C secure coding standard. TBsecure identifies security vulnerabilities and enables implementation of the just released CERT C Secure Coding Standard version 1.0. The CERT C v1.0 standard debuts today at Software Development Best Practices in Boston alongside LDRA's launch of the TBsecure plug-in and its CERT C program checker at Embedded Systems Conference.

LDRA's TBsecure plugs into TBvision, a module within the LDRA tool suite that enables developers to easily see how the source code performs against security vulnerabilities, fault-detection and adherence to the required quality standards. As its primary role, TBsecure applies the CERT C secure coding rules and relays findings to TBvision, which graphically shows code quality, fault detection and avoidance measures through call graphs, flow graphs and code review reports. Using the TBsecure plug-in, managers, team workers and individual developers are able to collectively monitor the implementation of security metrics in their applications in an easy-to-read, intuitive format.

"With the increased connectivity of software systems, there has been an increase in the number of software security attacks," noted Robert Secord, Senior Vulnerability Analyst with the SEI CERT program. "Our society has become highly dependent on software applications in mission-, business-, and safety-critical systems. Studies indicate that a majority of vulnerabilities in these systems can be traced back to a set of common programming errors. The CERT C standard aims to reduce these risks through software testing and analysis tools that identify these problems before they enter production code."

"Without proper security technology, individuals and corporations are increasingly vulnerable to malicious code attacks, fraudulent transactions, and theft-of-service opportunities," observed Ian Hennell, LDRA Operations Director. "At LDRA, we focus on assisting in the development of zero-defect software. We are thrilled to be the first company to deliver a CERT C compliant programming checker as we believe this new standard will play a significant role in the development of higher quality systems that are more robust and more resistant to attack."

The CERT C Secure Coding Standard provides rules and recommendations for secure coding in the C programming language. The goal of these rules and recommendations is to eliminate insecure coding practices and undefined behaviors that lead to exploitable vulnerabilities. The application of the secure coding standard leads to higher quality systems that are robust and more resistant to attack. Rules and recommendations included in this CERT C Programming Language Secure Coding Standard are designed to be operating system and platform independent. Once established, these standards can be used as a metric to evaluate source code using an automated process.

Through TBsecure, the LDRA tool suite has been extended to support a wide range of programming rules that enable increased application security using the following classification of security issues:

o Dynamic Memory Allocation (A) concerns: Dynamic memory management is a common source of programming flaws that can lead to security issues such as heap-buffer overflows, dangling pointers, and double-free issues. In particular, memory management encompasses allocating memory, reading and writing to memory, and deallocating memory.

o Vulnerabilities (V): These rules are intended to eliminate insecure coding practices aside from those associated with dynamic memory. Examples of insecure coding practices include array indices out of range and dereferencing a null pointer.

LDRA's provision of TBsecure and the CERT C secure coding programming checker extends its leadership in programming standards enforcement, also evident in its participation in the development of MISRA C:2004, MISRA C+:2008, and others.

Shipping and Availability
TBsecure and the CERT C secure coding checker are available now for $2,000. For more information on how LDRA can assist with your CERT C Secure Coding compliance, please visit www.ldra.com/certc.asp. For general information on CERT C, please visit: www.securecoding.cert.org.

About the LDRA tool suite
The LDRA tool suite has been derived from many ground-breaking testing techniques developed by LDRA. The LDRA tool suite assists with the eight primary tasks: traceability verification, design, code and quality review, unit testing, target testing, test verification and test management. Focus on all of these key areas is required to achieve an organization's software development and maintenance goals. The LDRA tool suite can be used by an entire project team, including developers, QA managers, test engineers, project managers and maintenance/support engineers, to automate the software development lifecycle. Through the deployment of the LDRA tool suite, companies are able to deliver well constructed, documented and tested software and benefit from significant time, cost and operational savings. For more information on the LDRA tool suite, please visit: www.ldra.com.

About LDRA
For more than thirty years LDRA has developed and driven the market for software used for the automation of code analysis and software testing of safety-critical applications. The LDRA tool suite is used in the aerospace, space and defence technology industries as well as the nuclear energy and automotive industries. Through the use of the LDRA tool suite companies ensure that their systems are built in accordance to prescribed standards and are durable and reliable in use. The LDRA tool suite is available for a multiplicity of programming languages and supports a wide range of host and target platforms. LDRA is represented world-wide with its head office in the UK and subsidiaries in the USA as well as through an extensive distributor network. For more information on the LDRA tool suite, please visit: www.ldra.com.

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