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Taint analysis

(also taint checking, data tainting)

Taint analysis definition

Taint analysis is a process to determine what impact user input can have on a system’s security. Malicious users can enter tainted data to cause problems to apps and operating systems at vulnerable points (known as sensitive sinks).

Real taint analysis examples

1989: the Perl programming language starts supporting taint checking in setuid scripts from version 3.0.

1996: Netscape implements taint checking for JavaScript in Netscape Navigator 3.