Buffer Attacks
Attack Pattern ID: 123 (Standard Attack Pattern Completeness: Stub)Typical Severity: MediumStatus: Draft
+ Description

Summary

An attacker manipulates a data buffer to change the execution flow of a process to a sequence of events the attacker controls. Data buffers in software applications provide a storage-space for external input. Buffer attacks provide input the buffer cannot correctly handle. Buffer attacks are distinguished in that it is the buffer space itself that is the target of the attack rather than any code responsible for interpreting the content of the buffer. In virtually all buffer attacks the content that is placed in the buffer by the user is immaterial. Instead, most buffer attacks involve providing more input than the buffer can store, resulting in the overwriting of other program memory or even the program stack with user supplied input.

+ Attack Prerequisites

The target must accept input provided by the attacker and store it in a buffer.

+ Resources Required

The attacker must posess a programmatic means for supplying data to a buffer, such as a compiled C or scripted exploit in perl. Network buffer overflows rely on connectivity of a protocol to deliver the payload.

+ Related Attack Patterns
NatureTypeIDNameDescriptionView(s) this relationship pertains toView\(s\)
ChildOfCategoryCategory255Data Structure Attacks 
Mechanism of Attack (primary)1000
ParentOfAttack PatternAttack Pattern100Overflow Buffers 
Mechanism of Attack (primary)1000
ParentOfAttack PatternAttack Pattern257Abuse of transaction data strutcture 
Mechanism of Attack (primary)1000
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