smash the stack

jargon In C programming, to corrupt the execution stack by

writing past the end of a local array or other data structure.

Code that smashes the stack can cause a return from the

routine to jump to a random address, resulting in insidious

data-dependent bugs.

Variants include "trash" the stack, scribble the stack,

mangle the stack.

See spam; see also aliasing bug, fandango on core,

memory leak, memory smash, precedence lossage, overrunscrew.

[Jargon File]

(1995-03-16)