Security of C++ Applications

Modern C++ development requires not only a deep understanding of the language, but also the ability to write secure code. The book "Security of C++ Applications" is a comprehensive guide that will help you identify and eliminate the most common vulnerabilities arising from memory management errors, incorrect input handling, or unsafe use of the standard library.

The author, Alexey Voronov — a practicing developer and information security specialist with 15 years of experience — shares proven code protection techniques. You will learn how attackers exploit classic C/C++ errors and which defense techniques work in practice.

What you will learn from the book:

• Fundamentals of secure programming — principles of least privilege, secure design, and threat modeling for C++ applications.
• Risk-free memory management — how to avoid buffer overflows, dangling pointers, double frees, and memory leaks using smart pointers and RAII.
• Injection protection — preventing SQL injections, XSS attacks, and command injection when working with external data.
• Multithreading security — data races, deadlocks, using std::atomic and mutexes without performance loss.
• Auditing and static analysis — configuring Clang Static Analyzer, Cppcheck, PVS-Studio and integrating checks into CI/CD.
• Cryptography in C++ — correct use of OpenSSL, libsodium, and standard algorithms (AES, SHA-256, RSA) without common mistakes.
• Network application security — protection against sniffing, data tampering, DoS attacks when using Boost.Asio and sockets.

Who this book is for:

• C++ developers of any level — from juniors to seniors, wishing to write reliable code.
• Tech leads and architects responsible for product security.
• Students studying systems programming and interested in software protection.
• Security engineers who want to gain a deeper understanding of low-level language vulnerabilities.

All code examples are accompanied by detailed comments and explanations of why a particular approach is dangerous. At the end of each chapter — practical exercises to reinforce the material. The book is written in a lively style and is not overloaded with excessive theory — the focus is on real attack scenarios and ways to prevent them.

If you write C++ for embedded systems, games, financial applications, or server software — this book will become your desktop security reference. Learn to think like an attacker to protect your code effectively.