Functions and stack frame, C/C++ Programming

Assignment Help:

Each function has its own stack frame between %fp and %sp. Let Caller calls Callee. Then Caller's %sp becomes callee's %fp, and callee's %sp set to be a new value (a smaller one because stack grows from large address to small address). You can think that Callee's stack frame is on top of Caller's stack frame.

In Caller: put arguments in %o0 to %o5 registers or if number of arguments more than 6, prepare values in call linkage of the current stack frame. Then "call" address_of_callee; %o7 stored the returned address. (This %o7 will becomes %i7 in callee after the callee executes save instruction.)

In Callee: it executes "save" instruction:

  • 0. Caller's %i (input registers) and %l (local registers) are reserved in its own stack frame. They are put in the top portion of the caller's stack frame. Implication: the return address of Caller (NOT CALLEE), %i7, is stored there.
  • 1. set callee's %i (input registers) by callers %o (output registers). The implication: pass parameters and return address now is in %i7. And now callee's fp (%i6) <-- caller's sp (%o6).
  • 2. Allocate space for new frame pointers. Caller's sp (%o6) is now set to be the new value.

So at this point in callee, %i6 (%fp was caller's %o6) is set, and %o6 (%sp is set to be a new value). Question: where is the old %fp? It is stored somewhere in the top portion of the previous stack frame (see step 0.) The return address of Callee is stored in %i7. Is it possible to write a program to overflow this %i7? What return address that you really can overflow? Question: how to access that return address.

The "restore" instruction is the inverse function of save. Then the "ret" instruction should branch to %i7+8. The normal address should be %i7+4 as the next instruction address after call. The extra 4 is because sparc has a "branch delay" instruction that is executed BEFORE the call is made even it is put just after CALL. Is it strange. Not really. This is because modern CPU is a pipeline machine. It loads instruction every clock cycle, and branch (or jump or call) somewhat cannot be really done until the later stage the pipeline. And then it is already too late because the one JUST after this branch has already been executed. If you want to know more, you should take a look at computer architecture textbook which I think every graduate should know.

You should be very clear what return address in server.c is overflowed? Is it the return address of main() or the return address of copy()?


Related Discussions:- Functions and stack frame

Program to calculate the average sales for each employee , There are 2...

There are 25 employees in a business. Each employee has 5 sales each day of the month (Assume there are 30 days in each month of the year). Draw a flowchart for a pr

Prime, Prepare a program to obtain prime factors of any integer number usin...

Prepare a program to obtain prime factors of any integer number using functions

PLS URGENT HELP WITH C++, Pls i only need help with program 2. #include ...

Pls i only need help with program 2. #include #include using namespace std; int main() { int FilingStatus; cout cout cout cout cout cout

Padovan string, padovan string generation till 40

padovan string generation till 40

Single string programme, write a programme that allows a user to enter 5 di...

write a programme that allows a user to enter 5 distinct words and returns them as a single string

C program to construct a structure , c program to construct a structure: ...

c program to construct a structure: struct sensus                 {                                 char name[30];                                 long int population;

Pebble merchent problem, There is a pebble merchant. He sells the pebbles, ...

There is a pebble merchant. He sells the pebbles, that are used for shining the floor. His main duty is to take the length of the room’s sides. But he sometimes mistakes doing that

Stack and queues, Using Figure 10.2 as a model, illustrate the result of ea...

Using Figure 10.2 as a model, illustrate the result of each operation in the sequence ENQUEUE.Q; 4/, ENQUEUE.Q; 1/, ENQUEUE.Q; 3/, DEQUEUE.Q/, ENQUEUE.Q; 8/, and DEQUEUE.Q/ on an i

I want rss feed from emails, Project Description: I am trading binary op...

Project Description: I am trading binary options and need my signals that are sent to me via email to be sent to my followers via an RSS feed I have no idea how rss feeds imp

Write Your Message!

Captcha
Free Assignment Quote

Assured A++ Grade

Get guaranteed satisfaction & time on delivery in every assignment order you paid with us! We ensure premium quality solution document along with free turntin report!

All rights reserved! Copyrights ©2019-2020 ExpertsMind IT Educational Pvt Ltd