Automated Fault Localization for C Programs

AbstractIf a program does not fulfill a given specification, a model checker delivers a counterexample, a run which demonstrates the wrong behavior. Even with a counterexample, locating the actual fault in the source code is often a difficult task for the verification engineer.We present an automatic approach for fault localization in C programs. The method is based on model checking and reports only components that can be changed such that the difference between actual and intended behavior of the example is removed. To identify these components, we use the bounded model checker CBMC on an instrumented version of the program. We present experimental data that supports the applicability of our approach