GIAC Foundational Cybersecurity Technologies Practice Test

What issue does Integer Overflow often present in programming?

1. Assuming a value is always negative

2. Causing data loss during transactions

3. Assuming a value is always positive and wrapping to negative

4. Creating multiple duplicate values

The correct answer is: Assuming a value is always positive and wrapping to negative

Integer overflow is a condition in programming that occurs when a calculation exceeds the maximum limit that can be represented by a variable type. When this happens, the value “wraps around” to the lowest possible value of that data type. This typically means that if an unsigned integer overflows, it goes back to zero, while a signed integer may flip to a negative value. The option that states the issue is primarily due to assuming a value is always positive and wrapping to negative accurately reflects this phenomenon. When developers assume that an integer will always fall within a certain positive range, an overflow can lead to unexpected behaviors, such as the value wrapping around into the negative range, which can introduce critical bugs or vulnerabilities in the program. Such issues can lead to serious security risks, as attackers may exploit these unexpected behaviors to compromise the integrity of an application. Other choices do not encapsulate the specifics of the integer overflow issue. Data loss during transactions is more related to data management practices or external factors rather than integer overflow specifically. Similarly, while one could speculate about duplicating values in certain contexts, it does not specifically relate to the overflow behavior of integers. Hence, the assumption that a value remains within a positive range, leading to it incorrectly wrapping into negative, represents