Definition
Ensuring that an integer is within a valid range.
How it Works
Integer Range Validation can be done by programmatically checking the value of an integer before or after an operation to determine if the resulting value will be valid. Checking the value of an integer to ensure it is in a valid range helps prevent integer overflow, wraparound, and logical errors.
Considerations
- A valid range can be defined by language, data-type, or logical constraints.
- Take extra care when doing operations on integers that will result in a value close to the bounds of a valid range.
- Note: This resource should not be considered a definitive or exhaustive coding guideline.
Implementation perspective
Integer Range Validation should be treated as a technical defensive capability rather than a product checkbox. In practice, teams should define the protected scope, the conditions under which the technique acts, and the observable evidence that demonstrates the intended behavior. For this technique, likely engineering context includes the relevant system, activity, and evidence sources.
Use the technique to increase the effort, prerequisites, or constraints an adversary must overcome before exploitation or misuse succeeds.
Questions to ask
- Which component, configuration, credential, interface, or behavior is being hardened?
- What secure baseline or policy defines the intended state?
- How are exceptions approved, time-limited, and reviewed?
- How is the hardened state verified after deployment and significant change?
Evidence and validation
- Approved hardening standards and configuration baselines
- Automated configuration or integrity assessment results
- Exception records with owners, rationale, and expiration dates
- Test results demonstrating that the intended restriction is enforced
Common failure patterns
- A secure setting is documented but not enforced consistently across the environment.
- Hardening breaks required functions and is permanently weakened through undocumented exceptions.
- Teams measure deployment of a product rather than verification of the hardened condition.
This implementation perspective is original Bare Metal Cyber educational content. It does not replace the official D3FEND definition or establish that a specific product implements the technique.
Technique hierarchy
Top-level family
Parent techniques
Direct child techniques
None listed at this level.
Artifacts and ontology entities
These relationships describe how D3FEND connects a defensive technique to artifacts or other ontology entities. They describe graph semantics, not a product certification.
Explicit technique relationships
Authoritative sources
- Open this technique on the official D3FEND website ↗
- Open the official ontology resources ↗
- SEI CERT C Coding Standard ↗Software Engineering Institute · GuidelineReference
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