[TM_YEAR] Lots of embedded systems have code running it written in C or C++.
Lots of embedded systems have code running it written in C or C++. In those languages, in about 10 % of the cases, te tm_year structure (standard language feature of C/C++) is not understood correctly by programmers. Result can be things like interpreting 2000 as 100 etc. Buffer overflows, cascading software errors and malfunctioning systems can be the result.
Below is a discussion fragment of Cory with another person on C.S.Y2K.
John
___________
'Terrific piece of research Jerry. This should close the book on, tm_year,
threat or menace? Anyone out there still think c.s.y2k is just a bunch of
survivalist nut-cases and lacks content.
I'll say it again. To the best of my understanding, the fight that I had with
the Unix newsgroup last year was the first public exposure of tm_year. Since
I'm not a Unix expert, the reason I was able to stand up to them... other than
my normal flame-boy bravado, was that my pal, a Unix-girl, and I had hashed out
the issue over the phone.
She had used tm_year incorrectly in her code and had found other incorrect
usages in the project that she was working on.
Now before you ask where she worked... well, it was one of 'those' places
around Washington DC. She would not tell me who she worked for, what the
project was, what the software did, etc.
So it happens... Jerry's cites below show that it happens in mass produced
commercial software. I know it happens in one-off, cost is no object, custom
code. I'd guess that 10% of the usage is wrong but there's no way of telling.
Since some of the code is burned into ROM, running in really remote places,
maybe like outer space, certainly under the ocean, this thing is a big problem.
..and I'll repeat my bet-stimate, it'll kill 100 people and cost a half billion
dollars before the Y2K dust settles. <---<<< how's that for a sound bite...
be sure to spell my name right, Declan.
Declan, I'll drop you an email expanding on my experience.
On Sat, 2 May 1998 14:38:35, Jerry Heidtke <jheidtke@netreslt.com> wrote:
> Declan McCullagh wrote:
> >
> > In article <7kepWhCNP4qd-pn2-5xbIO9Il97Kq@localhost>,
> > cory hamasaki <kiyoinc@ibm.XOUT.net> wrote:
> > >
.. fantastic list of 2000 == 100, deleted.
>
> There are many more examples available for anyone who cares to look for
> them.
>
> Jerry
_______
Subject:
Re: Embedded systems again (was Re: Get serious )
Date:
4 May 1998 05:03:47 GMT
From:
kiyoinc@ibm.XOUT.net (cory hamasaki)
Organization:
IBM.NET
Newsgroups:
comp.software.year-2000
References:
1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 |
