integer overflow

noun

UK /ˈɪn.tɪ.dʒər ˈəʊ.və.fləʊ/

US /ˈɪn.tə.dʒɚ ˈoʊ.vɚ.floʊ/

A computer mistake that happens when a number gets too big for the space saved for it.

The game crashed because of an integer overflow when the score went past the limit.

SYNONYMS

numeric overflow arithmetic overflow buffer overflow data overflow

RELATED WORDS

underflow bit width data type wrap-around memory limit

OTHER MEANINGS

2. In programming, the wrap-around result when a value exceeds its type's maximum and restarts from the minimum.

Adding 1 to the largest 8-bit integer caused an integer overflow that turned the value negative.

3. A security weakness where an overflowed value leads to wrong size checks and unsafe memory access.

Attackers exploited an integer overflow to bypass the length check and read past the buffer.

4. A general term for any calculation whose result cannot be stored in the chosen number format.

The simulation showed an integer overflow after the counter exceeded four billion.