Exploiting Buffer Overflows

Recognizing the Threats Posed by Exploitation
Buffer overflows are one of the most commonly known types of security vulnerabilities. While they can be easily remediated, past events have shown that they have often been overlooked and widely exploited. In order to successfully mitigate buffer-overflow vulnerabilities it is important for you to understand what exploitation is, why it occurs, and what its consequences to overall application and system security are.

This module will help you understand buffer overflow exploitation and will provide you with the necessary information to identify the risks posed by exploitation.
 

Exploitation Techniques
Exploitation techniques vary in complexity, from simple attacks that spawn processes to complex, multi-stage attacks. This module describes various aspects of the development of exploit code, such as common exploitation techniques, typical exploit payloads, and exploitation frameworks. It also provides you with an overview of the practices employed by exploit code to overcome operating system and application defenses.
 

Mitigating Exploitation
This module describes techniques aimed at avoiding and mitigating exploitation of buffer overflows, including built-in mechanisms in the Windows family of operating systems whose purpose is to make it difficult to exploit a buffer overflow. In addition, you will be provided with a list of additional resources on exploitation, which will enable you to keep up to date with the latest advancements and countermeasures in the field.

After completing this module you will be able to use existing mitigations to defend against exploitation, including:

• address space layout randomization

• the /GS compiler flag

• data execution prevention