CAPEC-100

Standard Abstraction Level
Meta — Very abstract, high-level category
Standard — Specific enough to understand
Detailed — Tied to specific technique Draft MITRE CAPEC Status
Stable — Fully reviewed and complete
Draft — Under development
Incomplete — Partially defined
Deprecated — No longer recommended
Obsolete — Replaced by another CAPEC Likelihood: High Severity: Very High
Overflow Buffers

Description

Buffer Overflow attacks target improper or missing bounds checking on buffer operations, typically triggered by input injected by an adversary. As a consequence, an adversary is able to write past the boundaries of allocated buffer regions in memory, causing a program crash or potentially redirection of execution as per the adversaries' choice.

Prerequisites

Targeted software performs buffer operations.

Targeted software inadequately performs bounds-checking on buffer operations.

Adversary has the capability to influence the input to buffer operations.

Mitigations

Use a language or compiler that performs automatic bounds checking.

Use secure functions not vulnerable to buffer overflow.

If you have to use dangerous functions, make sure that you do boundary checking.

Compiler-based canary mechanisms such as StackGuard, ProPolice and the Microsoft Visual Studio /GS flag. Unless this provides automatic bounds checking, it is not a complete solution.

Use OS-level preventative functionality. Not a complete solution.

Utilize static source code analysis tools to identify potential buffer overflow weaknesses in the software.

Skills Required

[Low] In most cases, overflowing a buffer does not require advanced skills beyond the ability to notice an overflow and stuff an input variable with content.

[High] In cases of directed overflows, where the motive is to divert the flow of the program or application as per the adversaries' bidding, high level skills are required. This may involve detailed knowledge of the target system architecture and kernel.