Is Python's raw_input() vulnerable to a buffer overflow?

Question

Since CPython is implemented in C, when it reads a line from stdin, if the line exceeds whatever is the default size given to the string being read by the interpreter, would it cause a buffer overflow or does Python handle it?

FWIW, you can see the C source of raw_input here, although I guess you'd also need to read about the GNU readline function too, since raw_input uses that if it's available. — PM 2Ring
– PM 2Ring, Commented Mar 8, 2016 at 3:22

ShadowRanger · Accepted Answer · 2016-03-08 03:18:36Z

7

Python dynamically sizes the string; it's not vulnerable to an overflow (though if the input is huge, it could raise a MemoryError when it can't expand the buffer further).

Python reads the input in chunks, and grows the buffer if it fills the buffer without finding a newline before reading another chunk.

answered Mar 8, 2016 at 3:18

ShadowRanger

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