Automatic Bug Detection in Microcontroller Software by Static Program Analysis

Ansgar  Fehnker; Ralf Huuck; Bastian Schlich; Michael Tapp

doi:10.1007/978-3-540-95891-8_26

Automatic Bug Detection in Microcontroller Software by Static Program Analysis

Ansgar Fehnker, Ralf Huuck, Bastian Schlich, Michael Tapp

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › Academic › peer-review

11 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Microcontroller software typically consists of a few hundred lines of code only, but it is rather different from standard application code. The software is highly hardware and platform specific, and bugs are often a consequence of neglecting subtle specifications of the microcontroller architecture. Currently, there are hardly any tools for analyzing such software automatically. In this paper, we outline specifics of microcontroller software that explain why those programs are different to standard C/C++ code. We develop a static program analysis for a specific microcontroller, in our case the ATmega16, to spot code deficiencies, and integrate it into our generic static analyzer Goanna. Finally, we illustrate the results by a case study of an automotive application. The case study highlights that – even without formal proof – the proposed static techniques can be valuable in pinpointing software bugs that are otherwise hard to find.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	SOFSEM 2009: Theory and Practice of Computer Science
Subtitle of host publication	35th Conference on Current Trends in Theory and Practice of Computer Science, Spindleruv Mlýn, Czech Republic, January 24-30, 2009. Proceedings
Editors	Mogens Nielsen, Antonín Kucera, Peter Bro Miltersen, Catuscia Palamidessi, Petr Tuma, Frank D. Valencia
Place of Publication	Berlin
Publisher	Springer
Pages	267-278
Number of pages	12
ISBN (Electronic)	978-3-540-95891-8
ISBN (Print)	978-3-540-95890-1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-95891-8_26
Publication status	Published - 2009
Externally published	Yes
Event	35th Conference on Current Trends in Theory and Practice of Computer Science, SOFSEM 2009 - Špindlerův Mlýn, Czech Republic Duration: 24 Jan 2009 → 30 Jan 2009 Conference number: 35

Publication series

Name	Lecture Notes in Computer Science
Publisher	Springer
Volume	5404
ISSN (Print)	0302-9743
ISSN (Electronic)	1611-3349

Conference

Conference	35th Conference on Current Trends in Theory and Practice of Computer Science, SOFSEM 2009
Abbreviated title	SOFSEM
Country/Territory	Czech Republic
City	Špindlerův Mlýn
Period	24/01/09 → 30/01/09

Keywords

Model Check
Code Base
Direct Memory Access
Kripke Structure
Large State Space

Access to Document

10.1007/978-3-540-95891-8_26

Cite this

Fehnker, A., Huuck, R., Schlich, B., & Tapp, M. (2009). Automatic Bug Detection in Microcontroller Software by Static Program Analysis. In M. Nielsen, A. Kucera, P. B. Miltersen, C. Palamidessi, P. Tuma, & F. D. Valencia (Eds.), SOFSEM 2009: Theory and Practice of Computer Science: 35th Conference on Current Trends in Theory and Practice of Computer Science, Spindleruv Mlýn, Czech Republic, January 24-30, 2009. Proceedings (pp. 267-278). (Lecture Notes in Computer Science; Vol. 5404). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-95891-8_26

Fehnker, Ansgar ; Huuck, Ralf ; Schlich, Bastian et al. / Automatic Bug Detection in Microcontroller Software by Static Program Analysis. SOFSEM 2009: Theory and Practice of Computer Science: 35th Conference on Current Trends in Theory and Practice of Computer Science, Spindleruv Mlýn, Czech Republic, January 24-30, 2009. Proceedings. editor / Mogens Nielsen ; Antonín Kucera ; Peter Bro Miltersen ; Catuscia Palamidessi ; Petr Tuma ; Frank D. Valencia. Berlin : Springer, 2009. pp. 267-278 (Lecture Notes in Computer Science).

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title = "Automatic Bug Detection in Microcontroller Software by Static Program Analysis",

abstract = "Microcontroller software typically consists of a few hundred lines of code only, but it is rather different from standard application code. The software is highly hardware and platform specific, and bugs are often a consequence of neglecting subtle specifications of the microcontroller architecture. Currently, there are hardly any tools for analyzing such software automatically. In this paper, we outline specifics of microcontroller software that explain why those programs are different to standard C/C++ code. We develop a static program analysis for a specific microcontroller, in our case the ATmega16, to spot code deficiencies, and integrate it into our generic static analyzer Goanna. Finally, we illustrate the results by a case study of an automotive application. The case study highlights that – even without formal proof – the proposed static techniques can be valuable in pinpointing software bugs that are otherwise hard to find.",

keywords = "Model Check, Code Base, Direct Memory Access, Kripke Structure, Large State Space",

author = "Ansgar Fehnker and Ralf Huuck and Bastian Schlich and Michael Tapp",

year = "2009",

doi = "10.1007/978-3-540-95891-8\_26",

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pages = "267--278",

editor = "Mogens Nielsen and Anton{\'i}n Kucera and Miltersen, \{Peter Bro\} and Catuscia Palamidessi and Petr Tuma and Valencia, \{Frank D.\}",

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Fehnker, A, Huuck, R, Schlich, B & Tapp, M 2009, Automatic Bug Detection in Microcontroller Software by Static Program Analysis. in M Nielsen, A Kucera, PB Miltersen, C Palamidessi, P Tuma & FD Valencia (eds), SOFSEM 2009: Theory and Practice of Computer Science: 35th Conference on Current Trends in Theory and Practice of Computer Science, Spindleruv Mlýn, Czech Republic, January 24-30, 2009. Proceedings. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol. 5404, Springer, Berlin, pp. 267-278, 35th Conference on Current Trends in Theory and Practice of Computer Science, SOFSEM 2009, Špindlerův Mlýn, Czech Republic, 24/01/09. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-95891-8_26

Automatic Bug Detection in Microcontroller Software by Static Program Analysis. / Fehnker, Ansgar ; Huuck, Ralf; Schlich, Bastian et al.
SOFSEM 2009: Theory and Practice of Computer Science: 35th Conference on Current Trends in Theory and Practice of Computer Science, Spindleruv Mlýn, Czech Republic, January 24-30, 2009. Proceedings. ed. / Mogens Nielsen; Antonín Kucera; Peter Bro Miltersen; Catuscia Palamidessi; Petr Tuma; Frank D. Valencia. Berlin: Springer, 2009. p. 267-278 (Lecture Notes in Computer Science; Vol. 5404).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › Academic › peer-review

TY - GEN

T1 - Automatic Bug Detection in Microcontroller Software by Static Program Analysis

AU - Fehnker, Ansgar

AU - Huuck, Ralf

AU - Schlich, Bastian

AU - Tapp, Michael

N1 - Conference code: 35

PY - 2009

Y1 - 2009

N2 - Microcontroller software typically consists of a few hundred lines of code only, but it is rather different from standard application code. The software is highly hardware and platform specific, and bugs are often a consequence of neglecting subtle specifications of the microcontroller architecture. Currently, there are hardly any tools for analyzing such software automatically. In this paper, we outline specifics of microcontroller software that explain why those programs are different to standard C/C++ code. We develop a static program analysis for a specific microcontroller, in our case the ATmega16, to spot code deficiencies, and integrate it into our generic static analyzer Goanna. Finally, we illustrate the results by a case study of an automotive application. The case study highlights that – even without formal proof – the proposed static techniques can be valuable in pinpointing software bugs that are otherwise hard to find.

AB - Microcontroller software typically consists of a few hundred lines of code only, but it is rather different from standard application code. The software is highly hardware and platform specific, and bugs are often a consequence of neglecting subtle specifications of the microcontroller architecture. Currently, there are hardly any tools for analyzing such software automatically. In this paper, we outline specifics of microcontroller software that explain why those programs are different to standard C/C++ code. We develop a static program analysis for a specific microcontroller, in our case the ATmega16, to spot code deficiencies, and integrate it into our generic static analyzer Goanna. Finally, we illustrate the results by a case study of an automotive application. The case study highlights that – even without formal proof – the proposed static techniques can be valuable in pinpointing software bugs that are otherwise hard to find.

KW - Model Check

KW - Code Base

KW - Direct Memory Access

KW - Kripke Structure

KW - Large State Space

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DO - 10.1007/978-3-540-95891-8_26

M3 - Conference contribution

SN - 978-3-540-95890-1

T3 - Lecture Notes in Computer Science

SP - 267

EP - 278

BT - SOFSEM 2009: Theory and Practice of Computer Science

A2 - Nielsen, Mogens

A2 - Kucera, Antonín

A2 - Miltersen, Peter Bro

A2 - Palamidessi, Catuscia

A2 - Tuma, Petr

A2 - Valencia, Frank D.

PB - Springer

CY - Berlin

T2 - 35th Conference on Current Trends in Theory and Practice of Computer Science, SOFSEM 2009

Y2 - 24 January 2009 through 30 January 2009

ER -

Fehnker A, Huuck R, Schlich B, Tapp M. Automatic Bug Detection in Microcontroller Software by Static Program Analysis. In Nielsen M, Kucera A, Miltersen PB, Palamidessi C, Tuma P, Valencia FD, editors, SOFSEM 2009: Theory and Practice of Computer Science: 35th Conference on Current Trends in Theory and Practice of Computer Science, Spindleruv Mlýn, Czech Republic, January 24-30, 2009. Proceedings. Berlin: Springer. 2009. p. 267-278. (Lecture Notes in Computer Science). doi: 10.1007/978-3-540-95891-8_26

Automatic Bug Detection in Microcontroller Software by Static Program Analysis

Abstract

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Conference

Keywords

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