Editing Computer memory (section)

=== Bugs ===
Improper management of memory is a common cause of bugs and security vulnerabilities, including the following types:

* A [[memory leak]] occurs when a program requests memory from the operating system and never returns the memory when it is done with it. A program with this bug will gradually require more and more memory until the program fails as the operating system runs out.
* A [[segmentation fault]] results when a program tries to access memory that it does not have permission to access. Generally, a program doing so will be terminated by the operating system.
* A [[buffer overflow]] occurs when a program writes data to the end of its allocated space and then continues to write data beyond this to memory that has been allocated for other purposes. This may result in erratic program behavior, including memory access errors, incorrect results, a crash, or a breach of system security. They are thus the basis of many software vulnerabilities and can be maliciously exploited.