Did you *really* zeroize that key?

[Patrick Chkoreff]

At 02:22 PM 11/8/2002 +0000, Vincent Penquerc'h wrote:

>while (!is_all_memory_zero(ptr)) zero_memory(ptr);


Right, unfortunately the compiler might be insightful enough just to 
optimize that whole thing to skip() -- Dijkstra's null statement.

Even Welschenbach calls "ispurged" immediately after "purgevars" to make 
sure the memory is actually zero.  The ispurged routine is also defined 
using va_list, and if you turn on assertion checking it dies if the memory 
is nonzero.

The problem is you NEVER KNOW if the compiler is just being clever and 
optimizing the assertion away, e.g.:

sensitive = 0;
if (sensitive) abort();

The compiler will simply "know" to optimize this whole thing to skip().

However, it is highly unlikely the compiler will be able to see through 
va_list manipulations.  This problem is a real bear.  I guess you just have 
to check the assembler output, eh?

-- Patrick
http://fexl.com