Unused Code: A Hidden Time Bomb

Dead, unused, or unreachable code remains a safety, reliability, and assurance concern in C/C++ and other common programming languages. This code can hide logic defects, expand security attack surfaces, and undermine certification evidence when structural code coverage is required. This paper summarizes why the issue matters, discusses real-world examples, and describes how it can be detected and prevented through standards, analysis, and process controls. The paper also provides a summary of how languages other than C and C++ – including Java, Rust, and Python – detect or prevent forms of unreachable and dead code at compile time and through tooling.