Buffer overflow
A buffer overflow is a memory-safety flaw in which software reads or writes beyond the bounds of a buffer.
Tech Startup Toolkit
A buffer overflow is a software flaw in which data written to a memory buffer exceeds its bounds and overwrites adjacent memory.
- How it is used
- Frames stopping buffer overflow as a minimum viable product priority for a cybersecurity offering.
- How deep it goes
- Mentions buffer overflow only as a common attack and defers its mechanics and mitigation.
- Examples
- Uses NXP’s assessment that stopping buffer overflow would differentiate Dover’s product.
- What you can do after
- Evaluate/understand it as a candidate MVP security capability and market differentiator.
Hacking Cryptography
A buffer overwrite occurs when software writes beyond a buffer's valid bounds and changes adjacent memory.
- How it is used
- Explains buffer bounds as a practical security requirement for cryptographic and network-server implementations.
- How deep it goes
- Traces unchecked input through vulnerable C code and defenses, but stops short of a complete exploit.
- Examples
- Uses HTTP input, server memory, unsafe C functions, Heartbleed, and an OpenSSL heartbeat-processing listing.
- What you can do after
- Diagnose/debug with it by checking lengths, replacing unsafe functions, and identifying reads or writes beyond allocated buffers.
Related concepts
- vulnerabilitykind of · A vulnerability is a weakness or susceptibility in a system, process, or person that can expose it to harm, misuse, failure, or compromise.
- Rustaddressed by · Rust is a statically typed systems programming language designed for performance, concurrency, and memory safety without requiring garbage collection.
- buffer overreadcontrasts with · A buffer overread is a software flaw in which code reads beyond the valid or intended bounds of a memory buffer.
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