Type Punning in C and C++

The article discusses the dangers of type punning in C and C++. Type punning is a technique where a programmer accesses a struct or union member using a pointer to a different type. This can lead to undefined behavior, including crashes and security vulnerabilities. The author, a software security engineer, explains the risks and limitations of type punning, including the fact that it's not safe to cast a pointer to a struct to a pointer to a different type, even if the types have the same size. The author also discusses the use of unions as a safer alternative to type punning. The article provides examples of type punning and its potential consequences, as well as guidance on how to avoid it in C and C++ code.