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From: manning@nntp-server.caltech.edu (Evan Marshall Manning)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c
Subject: Re: Life after free?
Message-ID: <1990Oct5.002416.3196@nntp-server.caltech.edu>
Date: 5 Oct 90 00:24:16 GMT
References: <26770@mimsy.umd.edu> <623@demott.COM> <5360:Oct421:09:4890@kramden.acf.nyu.edu>
Organization: California Institute of Technology, Pasadena
Lines: 19

In article <623@demott.COM> kdq@demott.COM (Kevin D. Quitt) writes:
>     It should be noted that in secure systems, free() will clear the memory.

brnstnd@kramden.acf.nyu.edu (Dan Bernstein) writes:

>That would be quite amusing, since there's absolutely no concept of
>security within C. If you can free it, you can copy it out and save it
>first.

You're missing the point.  Of course you can do what you like with your
data.  But when you free() it you return it to the OS.  And anybody else
can end up with your data when they next malloc().

***************************************************************************
Your eyes are weary from staring at the CRT for so | Evan M. Manning
long.  You feel sleepy.  Notice how restful it is  |      is
to watch the cursor blink.  Close your eyes.  The  |manning@gap.cco.caltech.edu
opinions stated above are yours.  You cannot       | manning@mars.jpl.nasa.gov
imagine why you ever felt otherwise.               | gleeper@tybalt.caltech.edu