diff --git a/buffer_overflow_example/README.md b/buffer_overflow_example/README.md index a51497f..9166bff 100644 --- a/buffer_overflow_example/README.md +++ b/buffer_overflow_example/README.md @@ -42,3 +42,81 @@ For 64 bit systems gcc vuln.c -o vuln -fno-stack-protector -m32 ``` `-fno-stack-protector` disabled the stack protection. Smashing the stack is now allowed. `-m32` made sure that the compiled binary is 32 bit. You may need to install some additional libraries to compile 32 bit binaries on 64 bit machines. + +## Additional Examples and References + +A buffer overflow is a type of software vulnerability that occurs when a program attempts to store more data in a buffer (a temporary storage area) than it can hold. This can cause the extra data to overflow into adjacent memory locations, potentially overwriting important data or instructions. + +Here is another example of a buffer overflow in C: + +``` +#include +#include + +int main(int argc, char* argv[]) { + char buffer[5]; // Declare a buffer with a size of 5 bytes + strcpy(buffer, argv[1]); // Copy the first command line argument into the buffer + printf("%s\n", buffer); // Print the contents of the buffer + return 0; +} +``` +In this example, the program declares a `buffer` of size 5 bytes and uses the `strcpy` function to copy the first command line argument into the buffer. However, if the command line argument is longer than 5 bytes, the `strcpy` function will copy all the characters of the argument into the buffer, causing the extra characters to overflow into adjacent memory locations. + +A malicious attacker could exploit this vulnerability by providing a long string as an argument to the program, which can cause the program to crash or execute arbitrary code. + +Another example: + +``` +#include + +void vulnerable_function(char* user_input) { + char buffer[10]; + strcpy(buffer, user_input); // copy user input into the buffer + printf("Input: %s\n", buffer); +} + +int main(int argc, char* argv[]) { + vulnerable_function(argv[1]); + return 0; +} +``` +In this example, the program has a function called `vulnerable_function` which takes a single argument, a string of user input. The function then declares a buffer of size 10 bytes and uses the `strcpy` function to copy the user input into the buffer. + +However, if the user input is longer than 10 bytes, the `strcpy` function will copy all the characters of the input into the buffer, causing the extra characters to overflow into adjacent memory locations. + +A malicious attacker could exploit this vulnerability by providing a long string as an argument to the program when it is executed, which can cause the program to crash or execute arbitrary code. + +There are several ways to fix a buffer overflow vulnerability. Here are a few examples: + +- Using a different function: Instead of using the `strcpy` function, which does not check for buffer overflow, you can use a function like `strncpy` which takes an additional argument specifying the maximum number of bytes to be copied. This can prevent overflowing the buffer. + +``` +strncpy(buffer, user_input, sizeof(buffer) - 1); +buffer[sizeof(buffer) - 1] = '\0'; +``` + +- Using a library function: You can use a library function like `snprintf` which can be used to write a limited number of characters to a buffer, making sure that the buffer is not overflown. + +``` +snprintf(buffer, sizeof(buffer), "%s", user_input); +``` + +- Input validation: You can validate the user input before it is copied into the buffer, checking if the length of the input is less than the size of the buffer. + +``` +if (strlen(user_input) < sizeof(buffer)) { + strcpy(buffer, user_input); +} else { + printf("Error: input too long\n"); + exit(1); +} +``` + +- Using a safer data type: You can use a safer data type like std::string in C++, which automatically handles buffer overflow and other security issues. + +``` +std::string buffer; +buffer = user_input; +``` + +It is important to remember that buffer overflow vulnerabilities can have serious security implications, so it is essential to ensure that your code is free of such vulnerabilities.