Buffer Overflow Attack

Buffer overflow attack is a cyberattack method in which the attacker exploits an application’s security by deliberately overwriting the application’s memory. A buffer overflow is one of the most known forms of software vulnerabilities. In a buffer overflow attack, a hacker most commonly manipulates the application’s memory or exploits mistaken assumptions regarding the composition or size of data. Buffer overflow attacks can be challenging to discover and even more challenging to exploit. Despite the challenge, buffer overflow attacks remain common. The two primary forms of buffer overflow attacks are stack-based buffer overflows and heap-based attacks. Stack-based buffer overflow attacks are more common and leverage stack memory that only exists at the time of a function’s execution. Heap-based attacks are more advanced and involve flooding the memory space allocated for a program.

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