SA4U: Practical Static Analysis for Unit Type Error Detection

10/17/2022

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by   Max Taylor, et al.

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Unit type errors, where values with physical unit types (e.g., meters, hours) are used incorrectly in a computation, are common in today's unmanned aerial system (UAS) firmware. Recent studies show that unit type errors represent over 10 severe. Over 30 SA4U: a practical system for detecting unit type errors in real-world UAS firmware. SA4U requires no modifications to firmware or developer annotations. It deduces the unit types of program variables by analyzing simulation traces and protocol definitions. SA4U uses the deduced unit types to identify when unit type errors occur. SA4U is effective: it identified 14 previously undetected bugs in two popular open-source firmware (ArduPilot PX4.)