bugprone-undefined-memory-manipulation

Finds calls of memory manipulation functions memset(), memcpy() and memmove() on non-TriviallyCopyable objects resulting in undefined behavior.

Using memory manipulation functions on non-TriviallyCopyable objects can lead to a range of subtle and challenging issues in C++ code. The most immediate concern is the potential for undefined behavior, where the state of the object may become corrupted or invalid. This can manifest as crashes, data corruption, or unexpected behavior at runtime, making it challenging to identify and diagnose the root cause. Additionally, misuse of memory manipulation functions can bypass essential object-specific operations, such as constructors and destructors, leading to resource leaks or improper initialization.

For example, when using memcpy to copy std::string, pointer data is being copied, and it can result in a double free issue.

#include <cstring>
#include <string>

int main() {
    std::string source = "Hello";
    std::string destination;

    std::memcpy(&destination, &source, sizeof(std::string));

    // Undefined behavior may occur here, during std::string destructor call.
    return 0;
}