diff --git a/smex/elf.c b/smex/elf.c
index bd088716691d..0d0e976dcb8a 100644
--- a/smex/elf.c
+++ b/smex/elf.c
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
 static int elf_read_sections(struct elf_module *module, bool verbose)
 {
 	Elf32_Ehdr *hdr = &module->hdr;
-	Elf32_Shdr *section = module->section;
+	Elf32_Shdr *section;
 	size_t count;
 	int i, ret;
 	uint32_t valid = (SHF_WRITE | SHF_ALLOC | SHF_EXECINSTR);
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ static int elf_read_sections(struct elf_module *module, bool verbose)
 	if (ret < 0) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "error: can't seek to %s section header %d\n",
 			module->elf_file, ret);
-		return ret;
+		return -errno;
 	}
 
 	/* allocate space for each section header */
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ static int elf_read_sections(struct elf_module *module, bool verbose)
 	if (count != hdr->shnum) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "error: failed to read %s section header %d\n",
 			module->elf_file, -errno);
-		return -errno;
+		return count < 0 ? -errno : -ENODATA;
 	}
 
 	/* read in strings */
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ static int elf_read_sections(struct elf_module *module, bool verbose)
 	if (ret < 0) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "error: can't seek to %s stringss %d\n",
 			module->elf_file, ret);
-		return ret;
+		return -errno;
 	}
 
 	count = fread(module->strings, 1, section[hdr->shstrndx].size,
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ static int elf_read_sections(struct elf_module *module, bool verbose)
 	if (count != section[hdr->shstrndx].size) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "error: failed to read %s strings %d\n",
 			module->elf_file, -errno);
-		return -errno;
+		return count < 0 ? -errno : -ENODATA;
 	}
 
 	module->bss_index = elf_find_section(module, ".bss");
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ static int elf_read_sections(struct elf_module *module, bool verbose)
 static int elf_read_programs(struct elf_module *module, bool verbose)
 {
 	Elf32_Ehdr *hdr = &module->hdr;
-	Elf32_Phdr *prg = module->prg;
+	Elf32_Phdr *prg;
 	size_t count;
 	int i, ret;
 
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ static int elf_read_programs(struct elf_module *module, bool verbose)
 	if (ret < 0) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "error: cant seek to %s program header %d\n",
 			module->elf_file, ret);
-		return ret;
+		return -errno;
 	}
 
 	/* allocate space for programs */
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ static int elf_read_programs(struct elf_module *module, bool verbose)
 	if (count != hdr->phnum) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "error: failed to read %s program header %d\n",
 			module->elf_file, -errno);
-		return -errno;
+		return count < 0 ? -errno : -ENODATA;
 	}
 
 	/* check each program */
@@ -191,7 +191,7 @@ static int elf_read_hdr(struct elf_module *module, bool verbose)
 	if (count != 1) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "error: failed to read %s elf header %d\n",
 			module->elf_file, -errno);
-		return -errno;
+		return count < 0 ? -errno : -ENODATA;
 	}
 
 	if (!verbose)
@@ -398,6 +398,7 @@ int elf_find_section(const struct elf_module *module, const char *name)
 	ret = fseek(module->fd, section->off, SEEK_SET);
 	if (ret < 0) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "error: cant seek to string section %d\n", ret);
+		ret = -errno;
 		goto out;
 	}
 
@@ -405,13 +406,20 @@ int elf_find_section(const struct elf_module *module, const char *name)
 	if (count != section->size) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "error: can't read string section %d\n",
 			-errno);
-		ret = -errno;
+		ret = count < 0 ? -errno : -ENODATA;
 		goto out;
 	}
+	buffer[section->size - 1] = '\0';
 
 	/* find section with name */
 	for (i = 0; i < hdr->shnum; i++) {
 		s = &module->section[i];
+		if (s->name >= section->size) {
+			fprintf(stderr, "error: invalid section name string index %d\n", s->name);
+			ret = -EINVAL;
+			goto out;
+		}
+
 		if (!strcmp(name, buffer + s->name)) {
 			ret = i;
 			goto out;
@@ -431,8 +439,8 @@ int elf_read_section(const struct elf_module *module, const char *section_name,
 		     const Elf32_Shdr **dst_section, void **dst_buff)
 {
 	const Elf32_Shdr *section;
-	int section_index = -1;
-	int read;
+	int section_index;
+	int ret;
 
 	section_index = elf_find_section(module, section_name);
 	if (section_index < 0) {
@@ -451,17 +459,25 @@ int elf_read_section(const struct elf_module *module, const char *section_name,
 		return -ENOMEM;
 
 	/* fill buffer with section content */
-	fseek(module->fd, section->off, SEEK_SET);
-	read = fread(*dst_buff, 1, section->size, module->fd);
-	if (read != section->size) {
-		fprintf(stderr,
-			"error: can't read %s section %d\n", section_name,
-			-errno);
-		free(*dst_buff);
-		return -errno;
+	ret = fseek(module->fd, section->off, SEEK_SET);
+	if (ret) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "error: can't seek to %s section %d\n", section_name, -errno);
+		ret = -errno;
+		goto error;
+	}
+
+	ret = fread(*dst_buff, 1, section->size, module->fd);
+	if (ret != section->size) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "error: can't read %s section %d\n", section_name, -errno);
+		ret = ret < 0 ? -errno : -ENODATA;
+		goto error;
 	}
 
 	return section->size;
+
+error:
+	free(*dst_buff);
+	return ret;
 }
 
 int elf_read_module(struct elf_module *module, const char *name, bool verbose)
@@ -479,12 +495,16 @@ int elf_read_module(struct elf_module *module, const char *name, bool verbose)
 
 	/* get file size */
 	ret = fseek(module->fd, 0, SEEK_END);
-	if (ret < 0)
+	if (ret < 0) {
+		ret = -errno;
 		goto hdr_err;
+	}
 	module->file_size = ftell(module->fd);
 	ret = fseek(module->fd, 0, SEEK_SET);
-	if (ret < 0)
+	if (ret < 0) {
+		ret = -errno;
 		goto hdr_err;
+	}
 
 	/* read in elf header */
 	ret = elf_read_hdr(module, verbose);
diff --git a/tools/logger/convert.c b/tools/logger/convert.c
index 417d3ee6e8b4..e393f828e1b1 100644
--- a/tools/logger/convert.c
+++ b/tools/logger/convert.c
@@ -60,8 +60,7 @@ struct proc_ldc_entry {
 	uintptr_t params[TRACE_MAX_PARAMS_COUNT];
 };
 
-static const char *BAD_PTR_STR = "<bad uid ptr 0x%.8x>";
-
+#define BAD_PTR_STR "<bad uid ptr 0x%.8x>"
 #define UUID_LOWER "%s%s%s<%08x-%04x-%04x-%02x%02x-%02x%02x%02x%02x%02x%02x>%s%s%s"
 #define UUID_UPPER "%s%s%s<%08X-%04X-%04X-%02X%02X-%02X%02X%02X%02X%02X%02X>%s%s%s"
 
@@ -325,7 +324,7 @@ static unsigned int timestamp_width(unsigned int precision)
 	 * gcc 9.3, this avoids a very long precision causing snprintf()
 	 * to truncate time_fmt
 	 */
-	assert(precision >= 0 && precision < 20);
+	assert(precision < 20);
 	/*
 	 * 12 digits for units is enough for 1M seconds = 11 days which
 	 * should be enough for most test runs.
@@ -339,7 +338,6 @@ static inline void print_table_header(void)
 {
 	FILE *out_fd = global_config->out_fd;
 	int hide_location = global_config->hide_location;
-	char time_fmt[32];
 
 	char date_string[64];
 	const time_t epoc_secs = time(NULL);
@@ -349,16 +347,14 @@ static inline void print_table_header(void)
 
 	if (gettime_ret) {
 		log_err("clock_gettime() failed: %s\n",
-			strerror(gettime_ret));
+			strerror(errno));
 		exit(1);
 	}
 
 	if (global_config->time_precision >= 0) {
-		const unsigned int ts_width =
-			timestamp_width(global_config->time_precision);
-		snprintf(time_fmt, sizeof(time_fmt), "%%-%ds(us)%%%ds  ",
-			 ts_width, ts_width);
-		fprintf(out_fd, time_fmt, " TIMESTAMP", "DELTA");
+		const unsigned int ts_width = timestamp_width(global_config->time_precision);
+
+		fprintf(out_fd, "%*s(us)%*s  ", -ts_width, " TIMESTAMP", ts_width, "DELTA");
 	}
 
 	fprintf(out_fd, "%2s %-18s ", "C#", "COMPONENT");
@@ -476,7 +472,6 @@ static void print_entry_params(const struct log_entry_header *dma_log,
 	char ids[TRACE_MAX_IDS_STR];
 	float dt = to_usecs(dma_log->timestamp - last_timestamp);
 	struct proc_ldc_entry proc_entry;
-	static char time_fmt[64];
 	int ret;
 
 	if (raw_output)
@@ -517,13 +512,7 @@ static void print_entry_params(const struct log_entry_header *dma_log,
 		ids[0] = '\0';
 
 	if (raw_output) { /* "raw" means script-friendly (not all hex) */
-		const char *entry_fmt = "%s%u %u %s%s%s ";
-
-		if (time_precision >= 0)
-			snprintf(time_fmt, sizeof(time_fmt), "%%.%df %%.%df ",
-				 time_precision, time_precision);
-
-		fprintf(out_fd, entry_fmt,
+		fprintf(out_fd, "%s%u %u %s%s%s ",
 			entry->header.level == use_colors ?
 				(LOG_LEVEL_CRITICAL ? KRED : KNRM) : "",
 			dma_log->core_id,
@@ -531,9 +520,12 @@ static void print_entry_params(const struct log_entry_header *dma_log,
 			get_component_name(entry->header.component_class, dma_log->uid),
 			raw_output && strlen(ids) ? "-" : "",
 			ids);
+
 		if (time_precision >= 0)
-			fprintf(out_fd, time_fmt,
-				to_usecs(dma_log->timestamp - timestamp_origin), dt);
+			fprintf(out_fd, "%.*f %.*f ",
+				time_precision, to_usecs(dma_log->timestamp - timestamp_origin),
+				time_precision, dt);
+
 		if (!hide_location)
 			fprintf(out_fd, "(%s:%u) ",
 				format_file_name(entry->file_name, raw_output),
@@ -542,13 +534,11 @@ static void print_entry_params(const struct log_entry_header *dma_log,
 		if (time_precision >= 0) {
 			const unsigned int ts_width = timestamp_width(time_precision);
 
-			snprintf(time_fmt, sizeof(time_fmt),
-				 "%%s[%%%d.%df] (%%%d.%df)%%s ",
-				 ts_width, time_precision, ts_width, time_precision);
-
-			fprintf(out_fd, time_fmt,
+			fprintf(out_fd, "%s[%*.*f] (%*.*f)%s ",
 				use_colors ? KGRN : "",
-				to_usecs(dma_log->timestamp - timestamp_origin), dt,
+				ts_width, time_precision,
+				to_usecs(dma_log->timestamp - timestamp_origin),
+				ts_width, time_precision, dt,
 				use_colors ? KNRM : "");
 		}
 
@@ -624,7 +614,13 @@ static int read_entry_from_ldc_file(struct ldc_entry *entry, uint32_t log_entry_
 	entry->params = NULL;
 
 	/* set file position to beginning of processed entry */
-	fseek(global_config->ldc_fd, entry_offset, SEEK_SET);
+	ret = fseek(global_config->ldc_fd, entry_offset, SEEK_SET);
+	if (ret) {
+		log_err("Failed to seek to entry header for offset 0x%x in dictionary.\n",
+			entry_offset);
+		ret = -errno;
+		goto out;
+	}
 
 	/* fetching elf header params */
 	ret = fread(&entry->header, sizeof(entry->header), 1, global_config->ldc_fd);
@@ -640,7 +636,7 @@ static int read_entry_from_ldc_file(struct ldc_entry *entry, uint32_t log_entry_
 		ret = -EINVAL;
 		goto out;
 	}
-	entry->file_name = (char *)malloc(entry->header.file_name_len);
+	entry->file_name = (char *)malloc(entry->header.file_name_len + 1);
 
 	if (!entry->file_name) {
 		log_err("can't allocate %d byte for entry.file_name\n",
@@ -651,6 +647,8 @@ static int read_entry_from_ldc_file(struct ldc_entry *entry, uint32_t log_entry_
 
 	ret = fread(entry->file_name, sizeof(char), entry->header.file_name_len,
 		    global_config->ldc_fd);
+	entry->file_name[entry->header.file_name_len] = '\0';
+
 	if (ret != entry->header.file_name_len) {
 		log_err("Failed to read source filename for offset 0x%x in dictionary.\n",
 			entry_offset);
@@ -664,7 +662,7 @@ static int read_entry_from_ldc_file(struct ldc_entry *entry, uint32_t log_entry_
 		ret = -EINVAL;
 		goto out;
 	}
-	entry->text = (char *)malloc(entry->header.text_len);
+	entry->text = (char *)malloc(entry->header.text_len + 1);
 	if (!entry->text) {
 		log_err("can't allocate %d byte for entry.text\n", entry->header.text_len);
 		ret = -ENOMEM;
@@ -677,6 +675,7 @@ static int read_entry_from_ldc_file(struct ldc_entry *entry, uint32_t log_entry_
 		ret = -1;
 		goto out;
 	}
+	entry->text[entry->header.text_len] = '\0';
 
 	return 0;
 
@@ -915,8 +914,13 @@ static int logger_read(void)
 			/* When the address is not correct, move forward by one DWORD (not
 			 * entire struct dma_log)
 			 */
-			fseek(global_config->in_fd, -(sizeof(dma_log) - sizeof(uint32_t)),
-			      SEEK_CUR);
+			ret = fseek(global_config->in_fd, -(sizeof(dma_log) - sizeof(uint32_t)),
+				    SEEK_CUR);
+			if (ret) {
+				log_err("fetch_entry() failed on seek, aborting\n");
+				ret = -errno;
+				break;
+			}
 			skipped_dwords++;
 			continue;
 
@@ -1013,7 +1017,7 @@ static int dump_ldc_info(void)
 	if (global_config->version_fd) {
 		struct sof_ipc_fw_version ver;
 
-		if (fread(&ver, sizeof(ver), 1, global_config->version_fd))
+		if (fread(&ver, sizeof(ver), 1, global_config->version_fd) == 1)
 			fprintf(out_fd, "Loaded FW expects checksum\t0x%08x\n",
 				ver.src_hash);
 	}
@@ -1101,7 +1105,12 @@ int convert(void)
 	}
 
 	/* read uuid section header */
-	fseek(config->ldc_fd, logs_hdr->data_offset + logs_hdr->data_length, SEEK_SET);
+	ret = fseek(config->ldc_fd, logs_hdr->data_offset + logs_hdr->data_length, SEEK_SET);
+	if (ret) {
+		log_err("Error while seeking to uuids header from %s.\n", config->ldc_file);
+		return -errno;
+	}
+
 	count = fread(&uids_hdr, sizeof(uids_hdr), 1, config->ldc_fd);
 	if (!count) {
 		log_err("Error while reading uuids header from %s.\n", config->ldc_file);
diff --git a/tools/logger/logger.c b/tools/logger/logger.c
index 14f3fc88f657..b6c2b26bd629 100644
--- a/tools/logger/logger.c
+++ b/tools/logger/logger.c
@@ -104,8 +104,8 @@ static int snapshot(const char *name)
 
 	for (i = 0; i < ARRAY_SIZE(debugfs); i++) {
 
-		sprintf(pinname, "%s/%s", path, debugfs[i]);
-		sprintf(poutname, "%s.%s.txt", name, debugfs[i]);
+		snprintf(pinname, sizeof(pinname), "%s/%s", path, debugfs[i]);
+		snprintf(poutname, sizeof(poutname), "%s.%s.txt", name, debugfs[i]);
 
 		/* open debugfs for reading */
 		in_fd = fopen(pinname, "rb");
@@ -132,9 +132,14 @@ static int snapshot(const char *name)
 			if (count != 4)
 				break;
 
-			sprintf(buffer, "0x%6.6x: 0x%8.8x\n", addr, val);
+			snprintf(buffer, sizeof(buffer), "0x%6.6x: 0x%8.8x\n", addr, val);
 
-			count = fwrite(buffer, 1, strlen(buffer), out_fd);
+			i = strlen(buffer);
+			count = fwrite(buffer, 1, i, out_fd);
+			if (count != i) {
+				fprintf(stderr, "error: an error occurred during write to %s: %s\n",
+					poutname, strerror(errno));
+			}
 
 			addr += 4;
 		}
@@ -164,7 +169,12 @@ static int configure_uart(const char *file, unsigned int baud)
 	tio.c_cc[VMIN] = 1;
 
 	ret = tcsetattr(fd, TCSANOW, &tio);
-	return ret < 0 ? -errno : fd;
+	if (ret < 0) {
+		close(fd);
+		return -errno;
+	}
+
+	return fd;
 }
 
 /* Concantenate `config->filter_config` with `input` + `\n` */
@@ -220,17 +230,15 @@ static void *wait_open(const char *watched_dir, const char *expected_file)
 	const int dwatch = inotify_add_watch(iqueue, watched_dir, IN_CREATE);
 	struct stat expected_stat;
 	void *ret_stream = NULL;
-
-	char * const fpath = malloc(strlen(watched_dir) + 1 + strlen(expected_file) + 1);
+	const int fpath_len = strlen(watched_dir) + 1 + strlen(expected_file) + 1;
+	char * const fpath = malloc(fpath_len);
 
 	if (!fpath) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "error: can't allocate memory\n");
 		exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
 	}
 
-	strcpy(fpath, watched_dir);
-	strcat(fpath, "/");
-	strcat(fpath, expected_file);
+	snprintf(fpath, fpath_len, "%s/%s", watched_dir, expected_file);
 
 	/* Not racy because the inotify watch was set first. */
 	if (!access(fpath, F_OK))
@@ -268,7 +276,9 @@ static void *wait_open(const char *watched_dir, const char *expected_file)
 	}
 
 fopenit:
-	stat(fpath, &expected_stat);
+	if (stat(fpath, &expected_stat))
+		goto cleanup;
+
 	if ((expected_stat.st_mode & S_IFMT) == S_IFDIR)
 		ret_stream = opendir(fpath);
 	else
@@ -364,7 +374,8 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 			if (i < 0 || 1 < i) {
 				fprintf(stderr, "%s: invalid option: -e %s\n",
 					APP_NAME, optarg);
-				return -EINVAL;
+				ret = -EINVAL;
+				goto out;
 			}
 			config.relative_timestamps = i;
 			break;
@@ -373,7 +384,8 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 			config.time_precision = atoi(optarg);
 			if (config.time_precision < 0) {
 				usage();
-				return -EINVAL;
+				ret = -EINVAL;
+				goto out;
 			}
 			break;
 		case 'g':
@@ -403,8 +415,10 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 		usage();
 	}
 
-	if (snapshot_file)
-		return baud ? EINVAL : -snapshot(snapshot_file);
+	if (snapshot_file) {
+		ret = baud ? EINVAL : -snapshot(snapshot_file);
+		goto out;
+	}
 
 	if (!config.ldc_file) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "error: Missing ldc file\n");