Buffer Overflows

What is the primary characteristic of a buffer overflow attack?

• It involves encrypting data to prevent access.

• It occurs when an attacker writes more data than a memory buffer is designed to hold.

• It is a type of denial-of-service attack that floods a network.

• It is an attack that modifies system clock settings.

What is "bounds checking" in the context of preventing buffer overflows?

• Verifying the network connection speed.

• Ensuring that data written to a memory section does not exceed its allocated size.

• Checking the physical boundaries of a server room.

• Limiting the number of users who can access an application.

Why is exploiting a buffer overflow considered a complex task for attackers?

• It requires advanced encryption keys.

• It often leads to system crashes if not executed precisely.

• It can only be performed on specific operating systems.

• It needs physical access to the target machine.

What makes a buffer overflow "really useful" for an attacker?

• It causes the system to crash repeatedly.

• It is difficult to detect by security software.

• It is repeatable and consistently provides an advantage to the attacker.

• It allows for remote code execution without any prior access.

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In the example provided, how did the attacker achieve elevated rights using a buffer overflow?

• By directly modifying the value of variable B.

• By writing an "excessive" string into variable A, causing an overflow into variable B.

• By deleting variable A and creating a new variable B.

• By changing the hex value of variable A to match variable B.