Linux Exploits & Mitigation: String Vulnerability Analysis


Overview/Description
Expected Duration
Lesson Objectives
Course Number
Expertise Level



Overview/Description

String vulnerabilities are at the core of a wide range of exploits. Being able to recognize, debug, and fix unsafe string manipulation code is essential to avoiding vulnerabilities. In this course, you'll explore how string code can be written safely and how strings vulnerabilities are exploited.

You'll look at the most common format string vulnerabilities in the C programming language and what it means to overflow a string buffer. You'll debug string exploits, including vulnerabilities introduced by common string output and manipulation functions. Next, you'll correct common errors, check strings for safety, loop over strings, and see what happens when unsafe strings are executed in a program. Finally, you'll describe how code can be injected via strings and how strings can be returned safely.



Expected Duration (hours)
1.2

Lesson Objectives

Linux Exploits & Mitigation: String Vulnerability Analysis

  • discover the key concepts covered in this course
  • describe how strings are exploited in computer programs
  • illustrate the weaknesses caused by string formatting methods
  • perform a string buffer overflow in a C program
  • apply flags to the gcc compiler to catch string weaknesses by converting warnings into errors
  • recognize and correct weaknesses introduced by poorly implemented string copies
  • recognize and correct common input string vulnerabilities
  • explore how generating command line string inputs can exploit insecure string methods
  • check input strings for validity and safety
  • perform loops over characters in a string in a safe manner
  • run programs that fail due to unsafe strings
  • describe how strings executed dynamically can lead to vulnerabilities
  • recognize safe and unsafe methods of returning strings in C
  • summarize the key concepts covered in this course
  • Course Number:
    it_cylxexdj_03_enus

    Expertise Level
    Intermediate