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What is a common attack mechanism that can occur due to buggy code and careless programming practices?

SQL Injection

Denial of Service

Buffer overflow (correct)

Cross-site scripting

What is a common attack mechanism?

Denial of service

Cross-site scripting

Buffer overflow (correct)

SQL injection

When does a stack overflow occur?

When a process attempts to allocate more memory than is available

When a process attempts to access memory that it does not have permission to access

When a process attempts to store data beyond the limits of a fixed-sized buffer (correct)

When a process attempts to execute code that is not allowed by the operating system

What makes prevention techniques a major concern?

Buggy code and careless programming practices Signup and view all the answers

What can happen when adjacent memory locations are overwritten due to a buffer overflow?

All of the above Signup and view all the answers

What happens when a process attempts to store data beyond the limits of a fixed-sized buffer?

A stack overflow occurs Signup and view all the answers

What does an attacker need to identify in order to exploit a buffer overflow?

A vulnerability in a program that can be triggered using externally sourced data under the attacker's control Signup and view all the answers

What can overwriting adjacent memory locations lead to?

All of the above Signup and view all the answers

What does an attacker need to exploit a buffer overflow?

A vulnerability in a program that can be triggered using externally sourced data under the attacker's control Signup and view all the answers

How can vulnerable programs be identified?

All of the above Signup and view all the answers

How can vulnerable programs be identified?

All of the above Signup and view all the answers

Which languages are vulnerable to buffer overflow due to allowing direct access to memory?

C and related languages Signup and view all the answers

What programming languages are vulnerable to buffer overflow?

C and related languages Signup and view all the answers

What are stack buffer overflows?

Overflows that occur when a buffer is located on the stack Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following C standard library routines are considered unsafe?

gets() and sprintf( Signup and view all the answers

What are stack buffer overflows?

Overflows that occur when buffer is located on the stack Signup and view all the answers

What are some examples of attacks that have used buffer overflow vulnerabilities?

Morris Internet Worm, Code Red worm, Slammer worm, and Sasser worm Signup and view all the answers

Which of these is NOT a common unsafe C standard library routine?

strlen( Signup and view all the answers

Why are prevention techniques for buffer overflow still a major concern?

Because buggy code and careless programming practices are still common Signup and view all the answers

What are some examples of attacks that have used buffer overflow vulnerabilities?

Malware attacks Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Buffer overflow is a common attack mechanism
Prevention techniques are known but still a major concern due to buggy code and careless programming practices
Stack overflows occur when a process attempts to store data beyond the limits of a fixed-sized buffer
Overwriting adjacent memory locations can lead to corruption of program data, unexpected transfer of control, memory access violations, and execution of code chosen by attacker
To exploit a buffer overflow, an attacker needs to identify a vulnerability in a program that can be triggered using externally sourced data under the attacker's control
Identifying vulnerable programs can be done by inspecting program source, tracing program execution, or using fuzzing tools
C and related languages are vulnerable to buffer overflow due to allowing direct access to memory
Stack buffer overflows occur when buffer is located on the stack and are still being widely exploited
Some common unsafe C standard library routines include gets(), sprintf(), strcat(), and strcpy()
Exploits of buffer overflow vulnerabilities have been used in various attacks, including the Morris Internet Worm, Code Red worm, Slammer worm, and Sasser worm.

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Description

Take this quiz to test your knowledge on buffer overflow attacks and prevention techniques. Learn about the dangers of buggy code and careless programming practices, stack overflows, and how overwriting adjacent memory locations can lead to program data corruption and unexpected transfer of control. Find out how attackers exploit vulnerabilities in programs and how to identify vulnerable programs using various tools. Discover why C and related languages are vulnerable to buffer overflow and which standard library routines to avoid. Test your knowledge on famous attacks that have utilized buffer overflow vulnerabilities.