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ZENODO
Preprint . 2026
License: CC BY
Data sources: ZENODO
ZENODO
Preprint . 2026
License: CC BY
Data sources: Datacite
ZENODO
Preprint . 2026
License: CC BY
Data sources: Datacite
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Verification Blind Spots: When Branchless Code Defeats Static Analysis

Authors: Musselman, Blake;

Verification Blind Spots: When Branchless Code Defeats Static Analysis

Abstract

We identify and characterize a class of verification blind spots in AST-pattern-based static analysis tools: safety-critical constraints that become invisible when program semantics shift from control flow to arithmetic. Using three benchmark programs that encode division-by-zero protection, forbidden-value filtering, and bounded state cycling without any conditional branching, we demonstrate that a representative constraint scanner -- which successfully detects all three constraints in their branched equivalents -- finds zero constraints in the branchless forms. Z3 SMT proofs confirm mathematical equivalence between each branchless program and its branched counterpart, establishing that the constraints are preserved in the code's semantics but lost in the tool's detection model. We formalize the control-flow assumption, present a taxonomy of constraint survivability, survey five widely-used tools that share the blind spot, and demonstrate a dual-sort AST-to-Z3 conversion technique that recovers full constraint visibility.

Keywords

branchless programming, SMT solving, static analysis, constraint detection, software safety

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selected citations
These citations are derived from selected sources.
This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Citations provided by BIP!
popularity
This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Popularity provided by BIP!
influence
This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Influence provided by BIP!
impulse
This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Impulse provided by BIP!
0
Average
Average
Average
Green