Hunting Security Bugs

Chapter 9. Format String Attacks

In this chapter:
What Are Format Strings?
Understanding Why Format Strings Are a Problem
Testing for Format String Vulnerabilities
Walkthrough: Seeing a Format String Attack in Action
Testing Tips
Summary

Now that you have learned how overflows work, let’s build on this knowledge about the call stack and CPU (covered in the previous chapter on buffer overflows) to understand a clever attack known as the format string attack. Imagine a fantastic opportunity for malicious hackers that existed for years in plain sight in the core C language specification. In addition to showing how these creative attacks work and describing ways to test for them, this chapter walks you through a demonstration of just how easily software ...