Network Security Tools

Overview of Stack Buffer Overflows

Security problems have always been an issue in software. From users abusing time-sharing operating systems in the ’70s to the remote network compromises of the current day, software always has—and always will have—security bugs. Starting in the late 1980s a new type of software vulnerability known as overflows began to be exploited. Since then overflows have become the undisputed king of vulnerabilities, accounting for the majority of security advisories in the last 10 years.

What follows is a brief refresher on stack-based buffer overflows and how you can exploit them. This section is intended as an overview only, so feel free to skip ahead if you already have a firm grasp on the subject.