C++: Handle field initialization via NSDMI in IR generation

cpp/ql/lib/change-notes/2026-03-24-field-init.md

@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+category: feature
+---
+* Added a class `ConstructorDirectFieldInit` to represent field initializations that occur in member initializer lists.
+* Added a class `ConstructorDefaultFieldInit` to represent default field initializations.

cpp/ql/lib/semmle/code/cpp/exprs/Call.qll

@@ -585,12 +585,15 @@ class ConstructorDelegationInit extends ConstructorBaseInit, @ctordelegatinginit
 
 /**
  * An initialization of a member variable performed as part of a
- * constructor's explicit initializer list or implicit actions.
+ * constructor's initializer list or by default initialization.
+ *
  * In the example below, member variable `b` is being initialized by
- * constructor parameter `a`:
+ * constructor parameter `a`, and `c` is initialized by default
+ * initialization:
  * ```
  * struct S {
  *   int b;
+ *   int c = 3;
  *   S(int a): b(a) {}
  * } s(2);
  * ```
@@ -616,6 +619,28 @@ class ConstructorFieldInit extends ConstructorInit, @ctorfieldinit {
   override predicate mayBeGloballyImpure() { this.getExpr().mayBeGloballyImpure() }
 }
 
+/**
+ * An initialization of a member variable performed as part of a
+ * constructor's explicit initializer list.
+ */
+class ConstructorDirectFieldInit extends ConstructorFieldInit {
+  ConstructorDirectFieldInit() { exists(this.getChild(0)) }
+
+  override string getAPrimaryQlClass() { result = "ConstructorDirectFieldInit" }
+}
+
+/**
+ * An initialization of a member variable performed by default
+ * initialization.
+ */
+class ConstructorDefaultFieldInit extends ConstructorFieldInit {
+  ConstructorDefaultFieldInit() {
+    not exists(this.getChild(0)) and exists(this.getTarget().getInitializer())
+  }
+
+  override string getAPrimaryQlClass() { result = "ConstructorDefaultFieldInit" }
+}
+
 /**
  * A call to a destructor of a base class or field as part of a destructor's
  * compiler-generated actions.

cpp/ql/lib/semmle/code/cpp/ir/dataflow/internal/DataFlowNodes.qll

@@ -878,7 +878,11 @@ module Public {
 
     /** Gets the parameter through which this value is assigned. */
     Parameter getParameter() {
-      result = this.getCallInstruction().getStaticCallTarget().getParameter(this.getArgumentIndex())
+      result =
+        this.getCallInstruction()
+            .getStaticCallTarget()
+            .(Function)
+            .getParameter(this.getArgumentIndex())
     }
   }
 

cpp/ql/lib/semmle/code/cpp/ir/dataflow/internal/SsaImplCommon.qll

@@ -175,7 +175,8 @@ private class PointerWrapperTypeIndirection extends Indirection instanceof Point
   override predicate isAdditionalDereference(Instruction deref, Operand address) {
     exists(CallInstruction call |
       operandForFullyConvertedCall(getAUse(deref), call) and
-      this = call.getStaticCallTarget().getClassAndName(["operator*", "operator->", "get"]) and
+      this =
+        call.getStaticCallTarget().(Function).getClassAndName(["operator*", "operator->", "get"]) and
       address = call.getThisArgumentOperand()
     )
   }
@@ -194,7 +195,7 @@ private module IteratorIndirections {
 
     override predicate isAdditionalWrite(Node0Impl value, Operand address, boolean certain) {
       exists(CallInstruction call | call.getArgumentOperand(0) = value.asOperand() |
-        this = call.getStaticCallTarget().getClassAndName("operator=") and
+        this = call.getStaticCallTarget().(Function).getClassAndName("operator=") and
         address = call.getThisArgumentOperand() and
         certain = false
       )

cpp/ql/lib/semmle/code/cpp/ir/implementation/aliased_ssa/Instruction.qll

@@ -495,7 +495,7 @@ class FieldInstruction extends Instruction {
  * `FunctionAddress` instruction.
  */
 class FunctionInstruction extends Instruction {
-  Language::Function funcSymbol;
+  Language::Declaration funcSymbol;
 
   FunctionInstruction() { funcSymbol = Raw::getInstructionFunction(this) }
 
@@ -504,7 +504,7 @@ class FunctionInstruction extends Instruction {
   /**
    * Gets the function that this instruction references.
    */
-  final Language::Function getFunctionSymbol() { result = funcSymbol }
+  final Language::Declaration getFunctionSymbol() { result = funcSymbol }
 }
 
 /**
@@ -1678,7 +1678,7 @@ class CallInstruction extends Instruction {
   /**
    * Gets the `Function` that the call targets, if this is statically known.
    */
-  final Language::Function getStaticCallTarget() {
+  final Language::Declaration getStaticCallTarget() {
     result = this.getCallTarget().(FunctionAddressInstruction).getFunctionSymbol()
   }
 

cpp/ql/lib/semmle/code/cpp/ir/implementation/raw/Instruction.qll

@@ -495,7 +495,7 @@ class FieldInstruction extends Instruction {
  * `FunctionAddress` instruction.
  */
 class FunctionInstruction extends Instruction {
-  Language::Function funcSymbol;
+  Language::Declaration funcSymbol;
 
   FunctionInstruction() { funcSymbol = Raw::getInstructionFunction(this) }
 
@@ -504,7 +504,7 @@ class FunctionInstruction extends Instruction {
   /**
    * Gets the function that this instruction references.
    */
-  final Language::Function getFunctionSymbol() { result = funcSymbol }
+  final Language::Declaration getFunctionSymbol() { result = funcSymbol }
 }
 
 /**
@@ -1678,7 +1678,7 @@ class CallInstruction extends Instruction {
   /**
    * Gets the `Function` that the call targets, if this is statically known.
    */
-  final Language::Function getStaticCallTarget() {
+  final Language::Declaration getStaticCallTarget() {
     result = this.getCallTarget().(FunctionAddressInstruction).getFunctionSymbol()
   }
 

cpp/ql/lib/semmle/code/cpp/ir/implementation/raw/internal/IRConstruction.qll

@@ -9,12 +9,13 @@
 private import semmle.code.cpp.ir.internal.TempVariableTag
 private import InstructionTag
 private import TranslatedCondition
 private import TranslatedElement
 private import TranslatedExpr
 private import TranslatedCall
 private import TranslatedStmt
 private import TranslatedFunction
 private import TranslatedGlobalVar
+private import TranslatedNonStaticDataMember
 private import TranslatedInitialization
 
 TranslatedElement getInstructionTranslatedElement(Instruction instruction) {
@@ -45,6 +46,9 @@
       or
       not var.isFromUninstantiatedTemplate(_) and
       var instanceof StaticInitializedStaticLocalVariable
+      or
+      not var.isFromUninstantiatedTemplate(_) and
+      var instanceof Field
     ) and
     var.hasInitializer() and
     (
@@ -64,6 +68,8 @@
     getTranslatedFunction(decl).hasUserVariable(var, type)
     or
     getTranslatedVarInit(decl).hasUserVariable(var, type)
+    or
+    getTranslatedFieldInit(decl).hasUserVariable(var, type)
   }
 
   cached
@@ -110,7 +116,7 @@
   }
 
   cached
-  Function getInstructionFunction(Instruction instruction) {
+  Declaration getInstructionFunction(Instruction instruction) {
     result =
       getInstructionTranslatedElement(instruction)
           .getInstructionFunction(getInstructionTag(instruction))

cpp/ql/lib/semmle/code/cpp/ir/implementation/raw/internal/SideEffects.qll

@@ -130,35 +130,39 @@ private predicate hasDefaultSideEffect(Call call, ParameterIndex i, boolean buff
 }
 
 /**
- * A `Call` or `NewOrNewArrayExpr` or `DeleteOrDeleteArrayExpr`.
+ * An expression that can have call side effects.
  *
- * All kinds of expression invoke a function as part of their evaluation. This class provides a
- * way to treat both kinds of function similarly, and to get the invoked `Function`.
+ * All kinds of expressions invoke a function as part of their evaluation. This class provides a
+ * way to treat those expressions similarly, and to get the invoked `Declaration`.
  */
-class CallOrAllocationExpr extends Expr {
-  CallOrAllocationExpr() {
+class ExprWithCallSideEffects extends Expr {
+  ExprWithCallSideEffects() {
     this instanceof Call
     or
     this instanceof NewOrNewArrayExpr
     or
     this instanceof DeleteOrDeleteArrayExpr
+    or
+    this instanceof ConstructorDefaultFieldInit
   }
 
-  /** Gets the `Function` invoked by this expression, if known. */
-  final Function getTarget() {
+  /** Gets the `Declaration` invoked by this expression, if known. */
+  final Declaration getTarget() {
     result = this.(Call).getTarget()
     or
     result = this.(NewOrNewArrayExpr).getAllocator()
     or
     result = this.(DeleteOrDeleteArrayExpr).getDeallocator()
+    or
+    result = this.(ConstructorDefaultFieldInit).getTarget()
   }
 }
 
 /**
  * Returns the side effect opcode, if any, that represents any side effects not specifically modeled
  * by an argument side effect.
  */
-Opcode getCallSideEffectOpcode(CallOrAllocationExpr expr) {
+Opcode getCallSideEffectOpcode(ExprWithCallSideEffects expr) {
   not exists(expr.getTarget().(SideEffectFunction)) and result instanceof Opcode::CallSideEffect
   or
   exists(SideEffectFunction sideEffectFunction |
@@ -175,7 +179,7 @@ Opcode getCallSideEffectOpcode(CallOrAllocationExpr expr) {
 /**
  * Returns a side effect opcode for parameter index `i` of the specified call.
  *
- * This predicate will return at most two results: one read side effect, and one write side effect.
+ * This predicate will yield at most two results: one read side effect, and one write side effect.
  */
 Opcode getASideEffectOpcode(Call call, ParameterIndex i) {
   exists(boolean buffer |
@@ -228,3 +232,14 @@ Opcode getASideEffectOpcode(Call call, ParameterIndex i) {
     )
   )
 }
+
+/**
+ * Returns a side effect opcode for a default field initialization.
+ *
+ * This predicate will yield two results: one read side effect, and one write side effect.
+ */
+Opcode getDefaultFieldInitSideEffectOpcode() {
+  result instanceof Opcode::IndirectReadSideEffect
+  or
+  result instanceof Opcode::IndirectMayWriteSideEffect
+}

cpp/ql/lib/semmle/code/cpp/ir/implementation/raw/internal/TranslatedCall.qll

@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ private import SideEffects
 private import TranslatedElement
 private import TranslatedExpr
 private import TranslatedFunction
+private import TranslatedInitialization
 private import DefaultOptions as DefaultOptions
 
 /**
@@ -348,7 +349,7 @@ class TranslatedExprCall extends TranslatedCallExpr {
 class TranslatedFunctionCall extends TranslatedCallExpr, TranslatedDirectCall {
   override FunctionCall expr;
 
-  override Function getInstructionFunction(InstructionTag tag) {
+  override Declaration getInstructionFunction(InstructionTag tag) {
     tag = CallTargetTag() and result = expr.getTarget()
   }
 
@@ -429,6 +430,9 @@ class TranslatedCallSideEffects extends TranslatedSideEffects, TTranslatedCallSi
     or
     expr instanceof DeleteOrDeleteArrayExpr and
     result = getTranslatedDeleteOrDeleteArray(expr).getInstruction(CallTag())
+    or
+    expr instanceof ConstructorDefaultFieldInit and
+    result = getTranslatedConstructorFieldInitialization(expr).getInstruction(CallTag())
   }
 }
 
@@ -504,11 +508,25 @@ abstract class TranslatedSideEffect extends TranslatedElement {
   abstract predicate sideEffectInstruction(Opcode opcode, CppType type);
 }
 
+private class CallOrDefaultFieldInit extends Expr {
+  CallOrDefaultFieldInit() {
+    this instanceof Call
+    or
+    this instanceof ConstructorDefaultFieldInit
+  }
+
+  Declaration getTarget() {
+    result = this.(Call).getTarget()
+    or
+    result = this.(ConstructorDefaultFieldInit).getTarget()
+  }
+}
+
 /**
  * The IR translation of a single argument side effect for a call.
  */
 abstract class TranslatedArgumentSideEffect extends TranslatedSideEffect {
-  Call call;
+  CallOrDefaultFieldInit callOrInit;
   int index;
   SideEffectOpcode sideEffectOpcode;
 
@@ -524,7 +542,7 @@ abstract class TranslatedArgumentSideEffect extends TranslatedSideEffect {
     result = "(read side effect for " + this.getArgString() + ")"
   }
 
-  override Call getPrimaryExpr() { result = call }
+  override Expr getPrimaryExpr() { result = callOrInit }
 
   override predicate sortOrder(int group, int indexInGroup) {
     indexInGroup = index and
@@ -586,9 +604,10 @@ abstract class TranslatedArgumentSideEffect extends TranslatedSideEffect {
     tag instanceof OnlyInstructionTag and
     operandTag instanceof BufferSizeOperandTag and
     result =
-      getTranslatedExpr(call.getArgument(call.getTarget()
-              .(SideEffectFunction)
-              .getParameterSizeIndex(index)).getFullyConverted()).getResult()
+      getTranslatedExpr(callOrInit
+            .(Call)
+            .getArgument(callOrInit.getTarget().(SideEffectFunction).getParameterSizeIndex(index))
+            .getFullyConverted()).getResult()
   }
 
   /** Holds if this side effect is a write side effect, rather than a read side effect. */
@@ -616,7 +635,7 @@ class TranslatedArgumentExprSideEffect extends TranslatedArgumentSideEffect,
   Expr arg;
 
   TranslatedArgumentExprSideEffect() {
-    this = TTranslatedArgumentExprSideEffect(call, arg, index, sideEffectOpcode)
+    this = TTranslatedArgumentExprSideEffect(callOrInit, arg, index, sideEffectOpcode)
   }
 
   final override Locatable getAst() { result = arg }
@@ -640,28 +659,31 @@ class TranslatedArgumentExprSideEffect extends TranslatedArgumentSideEffect,
  * The IR translation of an argument side effect for `*this` on a call, where there is no `Expr`
  * object that represents the `this` argument.
  *
- * The applies only to constructor calls, as the AST has exploit qualifier `Expr`s for all other
- * calls to non-static member functions.
+ * This applies to constructor calls and default field initializations, as the AST has explicit
+ * qualifier `Expr`s for all other calls to non-static member functions.
  */
-class TranslatedStructorQualifierSideEffect extends TranslatedArgumentSideEffect,
-  TTranslatedStructorQualifierSideEffect
+class TranslatedImplicitThisQualifierSideEffect extends TranslatedArgumentSideEffect,
+  TTranslatedImplicitThisQualifierSideEffect
 {
-  TranslatedStructorQualifierSideEffect() {
-    this = TTranslatedStructorQualifierSideEffect(call, sideEffectOpcode) and
+  TranslatedImplicitThisQualifierSideEffect() {
+    this = TTranslatedImplicitThisQualifierSideEffect(callOrInit, sideEffectOpcode) and
     index = -1
   }
 
-  final override Locatable getAst() { result = call }
+  final override Locatable getAst() { result = callOrInit }
 
-  final override Type getIndirectionType() { result = call.getTarget().getDeclaringType() }
+  final override Type getIndirectionType() { result = callOrInit.getTarget().getDeclaringType() }
 
   final override string getArgString() { result = "this" }
 
   final override Instruction getArgInstruction() {
     exists(TranslatedStructorCall structorCall |
-      structorCall.getExpr() = call and
+      structorCall.getExpr() = callOrInit and
       result = structorCall.getQualifierResult()
     )
+    or
+    callOrInit instanceof ConstructorDefaultFieldInit and
+    result = getTranslatedFunction(callOrInit.getEnclosingFunction()).getLoadThisInstruction()
   }
 }
 

cpp/ql/lib/semmle/code/cpp/ir/implementation/raw/internal/TranslatedCondition.qll

@@ -36,7 +36,8 @@ abstract class TranslatedCondition extends TranslatedElement {
   final override Declaration getFunction() {
     result = getEnclosingFunction(expr) or
     result = getEnclosingVariable(expr).(GlobalOrNamespaceVariable) or
-    result = getEnclosingVariable(expr).(StaticInitializedStaticLocalVariable)
+    result = getEnclosingVariable(expr).(StaticInitializedStaticLocalVariable) or
+    result = getEnclosingVariable(expr).(Field)
   }
 
   final Type getResultType() { result = expr.getUnspecifiedType() }

cpp/ql/lib/semmle/code/cpp/ir/implementation/raw/internal/TranslatedDeclarationEntry.qll

@@ -34,8 +34,11 @@ abstract class TranslatedDeclarationEntry extends TranslatedElement, TTranslated
       or
       result = entry.getDeclaration().(GlobalOrNamespaceVariable)
       or
+      result = entry.getDeclaration().(Field)
+      or
       not entry.getDeclaration() instanceof StaticInitializedStaticLocalVariable and
       not entry.getDeclaration() instanceof GlobalOrNamespaceVariable and
+      not entry.getDeclaration() instanceof Field and
       result = stmt.getEnclosingFunction()
     )
   }