1. What is the primary role of security in compiler design?
A) To improve the performance of the compiler
B) To ensure that the compiled code is secure and cannot be exploited
C) To speed up the parsing process
D) To optimize the code generation phase
Answer: B) To ensure that the compiled code is secure and cannot be exploited
2. Which of the following is a key concern related to security in compilers?
A) Memory leakage
B) Buffer overflow vulnerabilities in compiled code
C) Code optimization techniques
D) The effectiveness of syntax analysis
Answer: B) Buffer overflow vulnerabilities in compiled code
3. Which of the following techniques can be used by compilers to improve the security of the generated code?
A) Dead code elimination
B) Data flow analysis
C) Code obfuscation
D) Constant folding
Answer: C) Code obfuscation
4. Which of the following is a potential security risk during the code generation phase of a compiler?
A) Incorrect translation of instructions
B) Vulnerabilities introduced by system-specific optimizations
C) Missing syntax errors
D) Incorrect handling of temporary variables
Answer: B) Vulnerabilities introduced by system-specific optimizations
5. Which of the following could be an example of a security vulnerability introduced by an improperly designed compiler?
A) Compilation of the program on different platforms
B) Generation of machine code that allows buffer overflows
C) Parsing errors during syntax analysis
D) Optimization of loops causing excessive CPU usage
Answer: B) Generation of machine code that allows buffer overflows
6. What is the role of static analysis in improving compiler security?
A) It checks the syntax of the code
B) It checks the runtime behavior of the program
C) It detects potential vulnerabilities such as uninitialized variables
D) It optimizes the generated code
Answer: C) It detects potential vulnerabilities such as uninitialized variables
7. How can a compiler mitigate the risks of stack-based buffer overflow attacks?
A) By enabling runtime checks for stack overflows
B) By using recursive functions in the code
C) By enabling loop unrolling during optimization
D) By omitting unnecessary memory allocation
Answer: A) By enabling runtime checks for stack overflows
8. Which of the following features in a compiler could potentially be exploited by an attacker for security breaches?
A) Code optimization techniques like loop unrolling
B) Use of inline functions for better performance
C) Lack of bounds checking in generated code
D) Inlining of all functions
Answer: C) Lack of bounds checking in generated code
9. What is the function of a “sandbox” in the context of compiler security?
A) To reduce the code size during optimization
B) To test the generated code in a controlled environment before execution
C) To execute the program with elevated privileges
D) To check for syntax errors in the source code
Answer: B) To test the generated code in a controlled environment before execution
10. Which of the following methods can be used by compilers to protect against code injection attacks?
A) Stack canaries
B) Loop optimization
C) Dead code elimination
D) Constant propagation
Answer: A) Stack canaries
11. Which type of analysis is commonly used in compilers to detect security vulnerabilities in the code?
A) Semantic analysis
B) Static analysis
C) Dynamic analysis
D) Syntactic analysis
Answer: B) Static analysis
12. How can compilers assist in preventing the execution of malicious code?
A) By detecting semantic errors in the program
B) By performing runtime checks such as stack integrity verification
C) By optimizing the code to reduce execution time
D) By ensuring that syntax errors are corrected before code generation
Answer: B) By performing runtime checks such as stack integrity verification
13. Which compiler optimization can potentially create security vulnerabilities if not handled carefully?
A) Constant folding
B) Loop unrolling
C) Inline expansion
D) Dead code elimination
Answer: B) Loop unrolling
14. Why is code obfuscation used in compiler security?
A) To improve the readability of the source code
B) To make reverse engineering of the compiled code more difficult
C) To optimize the speed of the generated code
D) To make the compilation process faster
Answer: B) To make reverse engineering of the compiled code more difficult
15. What is the key advantage of using a Just-In-Time (JIT) compiler in terms of security?
A) It prevents buffer overflow attacks at runtime
B) It allows the compiler to apply additional security checks during execution
C) It guarantees that the code is free from syntax errors
D) It increases the execution speed of the compiled code
Answer: B) It allows the compiler to apply additional security checks during execution