What are buffer overflow exploits and how do they work?

What are buffer overflow exploits and how do they work?

Buffer overflow exploits occur when a program writes more data to a buffer than it can hold, causing adjacent memory to be overwritten.

Can you give me an example of how a buffer overflow can be exploited?

Sure! An attacker might input a long string of data that exceeds the buffer size, allowing them to overwrite the return address and redirect execution.

What are some common programming languages where buffer overflows are a concern?

Languages like C and C++ are particularly vulnerable to buffer overflows due to their manual memory management.

How can developers protect their applications from buffer overflow attacks?

Developers can use techniques like bounds checking, using safer functions, and employing modern languages that manage memory automatically.