20 Questions
What is a common attack mechanism that exploits buffer overflow vulnerabilities?
Buffer overflow
What is shellcode?
Code used to overflow a buffer
What are the consequences of buffer overflow?
Corruption of program data, unexpected transfer of control, and memory access violations
What is the traditional purpose of shellcode?
To transfer control to a user command-line interpreter
What are some prevention techniques for buffer overflow?
Prevention techniques exist
What are some targets of stack overflow variants?
Trusted system utilities
Which worms exploited buffer overflow vulnerabilities?
Morris Internet Worm and Sasser
What are the two broad defense approaches against buffer overflows?
Compile-time and run-time defenses
What is the aim of compile-time defenses?
To harden programs to resist attacks in new programs
What happens when a process attempts to store data beyond the limits of a fixed-sized buffer?
Buffer overflow occurs
What are some safe coding techniques?
Auditing the existing code base and using safe libraries
How can vulnerable programs be identified?
Inspecting program source, tracing program execution, and using tools such as fuzzing
What can language extensions and safe libraries do?
Replace unsafe standard library routines
Which programming languages are vulnerable to buffer overflow?
C and related languages
What are some common unsafe C standard library routines?
gets(), sprintf(), strcat(), and strcpy(
What do stack protection mechanisms do?
Add function entry and exit code to check the stack for signs of corruption
What is a stack buffer overflow?
When the buffer is located on the stack
What is the aim of run-time defenses?
To detect and abort attacks in existing programs
Are modern high-level languages vulnerable to buffer overflow?
Yes, but they have overhead and limits on use
What can be done to achieve executable address space protection?
Blocking the execution of code on the heap
Study Notes
- Buffer overflow is a common attack mechanism.
- Prevention techniques exist, but it is still a major concern due to buggy code and careless programming practices.
- The Morris Internet Worm, Code Red, Slammer, and Sasser worms all exploited buffer overflow vulnerabilities.
- Buffer overflow occurs when a process attempts to store data beyond the limits of a fixed-sized buffer.
- Consequences of buffer overflow include corruption of program data, unexpected transfer of control, and memory access violations.
- Identifying vulnerable programs can be done through inspection of program source, tracing program execution, and using tools such as fuzzing.
- Modern high-level languages are not vulnerable to buffer overflow, but have overhead and limits on use.
- C and related languages are vulnerable to buffer overflow and have a large legacy of widely used, unsafe code.
- Stack buffer overflows occur when the buffer is located on the stack.
- Some common unsafe C standard library routines include gets(), sprintf(), strcat(), and strcpy().
Are you familiar with buffer overflows and their potential consequences? Take this quiz to test your knowledge on the common attack mechanism and the prevention techniques available to combat it. Discover how the Morris Internet Worm, Code Red, Slammer, and Sasser worms all exploited buffer overflow vulnerabilities. Learn about identifying vulnerable programs and the unsafe C standard library routines that put them at risk. Test your understanding of the topic with this informative and engaging quiz.
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