static char *parse_ident(const char *buf)
{
	const char *ltgt;
	size_t name_len;
	struct strbuf ident = STRBUF_INIT;

	/* ensure there is a space delimiter even if there is no name */
	if (*buf == '<')
		--buf;

	ltgt = buf + strcspn(buf, "<>");
	if (*ltgt != '<')
		die("Missing < in ident string: %s", buf);
	if (ltgt != buf && ltgt[-1] != ' ')
		die("Missing space before < in ident string: %s", buf);
	ltgt = ltgt + 1 + strcspn(ltgt + 1, "<>");
	if (*ltgt != '>')
		die("Missing > in ident string: %s", buf);
	ltgt++;
	if (*ltgt != ' ')
		die("Missing space after > in ident string: %s", buf);
	ltgt++;
	name_len = ltgt - buf;
	strbuf_add(&ident, buf, name_len);

	switch (whenspec) {
	case WHENSPEC_RAW:
		if (validate_raw_date(ltgt, &ident) < 0)
			die("Invalid raw date \"%s\" in ident: %s", ltgt, buf);
		break;
	case WHENSPEC_RFC2822:
		if (parse_date(ltgt, &ident) < 0)
			die("Invalid rfc2822 date \"%s\" in ident: %s", ltgt, buf);
		break;
	case WHENSPEC_NOW:
		if (strcmp("now", ltgt))
			die("Date in ident must be 'now': %s", buf);
		datestamp(&ident);
		break;
	}

	return strbuf_detach(&ident, NULL);
}

The product performs operations on a memory buffer, but it reads from or writes to a memory location outside the buffer's intended boundary. This may result in read or write operations on unexpected memory locations that could be linked to other variables, data structures, or internal program data.