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The Buffer Overflow Attack and How to Solve Buffer Overflow in Recent
Research

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 Academic Journal of Research and Scientific Publishing | Vol 2 | Issue 19
Publication Date: 5-11-2020 ISSN: 2706-6495

The Buffer Overflow Attack and How to Solve Buffer Overflow in Recent
Research

Samah Muhammed S. ALHusayn

Student in cyber security master, Taif Universty, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia
Email: [email protected]
Dr. Emad Alsuwat
Assistant Professor, Taif Universty, Saudi Arabia
Email: [email protected]

Abstract
Buffer overflow attacks, whether by software error or an attack, is one of the most important
security problems that represent a common vulnerability of software security and cyber risks. In
this paper, we will present simple concepts of the buffer overflow attack, its types,
vulnerabilities, and a protection mechanism from exploiting vulnerabilities. In the last, it will be
presented More than one way to detect and solve buffer overflow.

Keywords
Buffer Overflow, stack , heap , vulnerable , Recent studies, detect and solve , from templates and
k-induction, SD2-C2M2, Fuzzing , code-level model, BOVP model ,Adaptable and Automated
Static Analysis Framework.

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1. Introduction
Buffer overflow attacks became known as one of the Morris Worm Web attack in 1988[3].Buffer
overflow are the most popular type of vulnerability over the last decade This fact written in
2000[5] . and today buffer overflow threats is the most growing and severe form of vulnerability
in software , it has become increasingly critical issues as network security[18].The buffer
overflow problem is a root in software security as it pertains to the way the low-level computer
works.
More of the buffer overflow issues are possibly the product of poor programming, and could be
detected and resolved by the suppliers before the software was released if the suppliers had
carried out basic checking or code corrections along the way.Buffer overflows[4].Buffer
overflow is an phenomenon that happens when program passes data to a buffer overruns the
buffer's space, causes in the overwriting of neighboring memory locations[2].When the program
accesses memory addresses beyond specified memory regions, are considered to reason for a
large of software vulnerabilities[6].The buffer issue classification has the largest percentage of
vulnerabilities, nearly 14.08 per cent based on distribution of bugs in the June 2017 Document of
(CNNVD) , owing to the different types of buffer overflow drawbacks, it is difficult to logically
deduce buffer overflows and owing to the vast range of application root programming and
complicated logical invock rates, several weaknesses in a time and typically detection software
weakness involves could not be easily detection of source code and Boolean analysis [18].
The remainder of this article is structured accordingly. The definition of buffer is illustrated in
section 2. In section 3 I discusses buffer overflow attack concept , types, vulnerabilities, and a
protection mechanism from exploiting vulnerabilities. Section 4 view recent research to detect
and solve the buffer overflow. The paper will be closed in Section 5.

2. Background
A buffer is a compact memory space within a device that can contain several cases of a certain
data form[18].The buffer is often in RAM, which is an area to temporarily store physical
memory of data when moved from one place to another and help improve performance, as most
modern hard disks benefit from in accessing data efficiently[2]. Some internet services are based
on buffers such as their use to prevent internet outages and changing the connection speed in the
video stream so that part of the video is stored and is streamed from the buffer that is designed to

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accommodate a specific amount of the program, otherwise when sending more than the buffer
capacity will overflow to overwrite the neighboring memory data[2]this exceed called buffer
overflow.

3. Buffer Overflow attack (BOF):

The ultimate purpose of a BOF attack been to thwart a feature of an illegal application
so that the intruder can
gain dominate of the system and controlling host if the application is adequately
privileged[5].The intruder prepares to see the right code in the memory of the program and to
transfer the program to it, by the necessary requirements installed into the registries & memory
to locate the root program and run a code called "exec(sh)" to reach the root buffer[5].In view of
the limitations which could be applied to a particular exe file, the efficient use of a stack-based
buffer overflow involves a possible data address spill. In many forms, among the most common
techniques is to find and exploit a string bug in a format, which effectively enables the stack to
steal keys and is a weakness that enables an attacker to exploit the display output
format [5].Buffer overflow attacks constitute a significant one of all security attacks where that
buffers are so popular[5] and simple to exploitation[9].Today, the buffer overflow is increasingly
difficult to exploit because of the many security mechanisms implemented by the operating
system and at the runtime level[17]. There are three aspects of the buffer overflow attacks: code
caching, overflow breach and service shooting down[17].Four kinds of overflow attacks are
present, namely destruction of operation logs, destruction of heap data, alter method parameters
and fixed buffer overflows[17]. Buffer overflow is a popular and very risky vulnerability,
prevalent in different operating systems and programs[17].

3.1 The common type of Buffer overflow attack:

Buffer overflows categorized into stack based buffer overflows, integer overflows , heap-based
buffer overflows and Unicode overflow.
3.1.1 stack based buffer overflows:
The stack is an arbitrary form of data that acts as the item array, of two key processes: push that
inserts an item to the array and pop delete an item that inserted at the finally[18] based on LIFO
method which means last in of data add to stack first out from it.

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The stack frame is the data set for a single call for a subprogram in the stack[18]. Typically, a
stack frame contains the return address, the stacked arguments, the local variables, and the stored
copies of the sub-software updated registers[18].A modern structure for a stack is formed and
placed Under a particular stack frame every time the function is called (shown in Firure1)
[18].The EBP is the basic indicator for the recent stack frame, which marks to a high address at
the top of the stack and doesn't alter while the ESP is the recent stack indicator which marks to
the next offered byte of that stack and differs with operate implementation[18].A buffer overflow
on the base of the stack happens when a program writes data that increases of the capacity that
the stack assigns to the buffer at the stack memory[18].A buffer overflow on the base of the stack
happens when a program writes data that increases of the capacity that the stack assigns to the
buffer at the stack memory[18].It is the most popular kind of buffer overflow attack which means
a buffer on the request stack is overflowed[2].

Figure 1. Buffer Overflow Attack

3.1.2 Integer Buffer Overflow :
Integer Buffer Overflow is the mathematical process of an integer overflow leads to an integer
which is bigger for the integer that can hold[2].divided into three categories based on
undersigned structural, symbolic and truncation issues underflow and overflow[18].The
underflow of unmarked integer is due to the fact that unmarked entities are unable to accept
negatives[18].

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The problem with the code is induced by the comparison of marked integer, the process of
signed integer, and the comparison of unmarked integer and marked integer and the shortness
problem arises primarily when a large-order integer such as 64 bits is copied to a minimal-order
integer such as 32 bits[18].
3.1.3 Heap buffer overflows:
The heap is a space which is assigned as the code executes [18]. The user usually demands space
via malloc, fresh, etc. and manages the released space via the retrieved beginning address
pointer[18]. It must be considered as part of the memory after every use, by free, delete, etc. ;
otherwise it would produce a memory leak[18]. The heap blocks in the same heap are normally
memorized parallel And when code is inserted into a heap stack, code overflowing exceeds the
capacity of the heap stack, allowing the data overflow behind the heap block to protect the
peers[18].This kind of target enemies data in the distributed memory called the heap[2].
3.1.4 Unicode overflow:
Unicode Buffer Overflow appears by adding Unicode characters into an entry expecting ASCII
characters[20]. When ASCII code just includes Western language characters, Unicode can initial
a character for all languages. Setup the software in Unicode phase to delete the Unicode buffer
overflow and substitute cout, printf with wcout, wprintf alike[20].
3.1.5 Format-String Buffer Overflow:
Overflow of the format-string buffer happens with records and console. Often text strings are
compiled into wider formats directly[20]. The formatted string is entered by sprintf in a letter
array in the same way that 'printf' is used to insert the string in to the control information[10,
12].Many methods were suggested including runtime, debugging, and static analysis, but none
can differentiate between all kinds of format string vulnerabilities. The analysis method defines
the string features in the format. String processes typically include printf, fprintf, sprintf, etc.
This strategy measures only the flaw, but decreases the false positive rate[20].

3.2 The Vulnerable Of Buffer Overflow attack:

Vulnerabilities are flaws and shortcomings when designing or executing an operating system or
programs[21, 15].These vulnerabilities can make the program to crash and also compromise an
intruder, which could bring system security concerns and harm and there are several causes why
device insecurity evolves[11].

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From the reports of international authoritative emergency organizations, the insecure nature of
copy data over the scale of the target buffer resulted for approximately 1/2 of the overall
vulnerability in 2018[14]. The build-up of a buffer overflow vulnerability contains three
requirements: a memory allocation operation, the main requirement to buffer overflowing ; a
buffer copying process with bigger space of the stack space capacity so the buffer allocation
length the main reason of the issue[11].The vulnerability of the buffer overflow will be observed,
if the program meets all the requirements specified previously[11].

3.3 Mechanisms protection for exploitation buffer overflow:

Buffer overflow was an important subject of study in computing background and software
security , some causes have been discussed to avoid various exploitations[17]. We can observe
several protection mechanisms that prevent overflow from occurring or respond when overflow
occurs[13].
3.3.1 Data implementation preclusion (DEP) is used at Boolean basis and defines the right to
implement at the location of the memory with blocks suspicious programming instruction from
the buffer meaning implementation by requiring the implementation rights of just a particular
memory spot[17].
3.3.2 Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR) is defense mechanism done by an
operating system and automatically resizes the binary and existing library memory address each
time it is executed as just that, any attack during fixed defined values would failure [17].
3.3.3 Stack cookies and canaries :This approach applied by inserting a tiny chosen
haphazardly binary within the system stack, in memory, directly earlier than the stack revisit
indicator thus guarantees that the stack content is not distorted or overwritten from potentially
malicious data supplied by the user The return in detector is altered when the buffer overflow
writes stack space from the bottom to the upper end so updated stack [17].
3.3.4 Part or complete RELRO eliminates all dynamic related process and guarantee that is
read-only Chart of Worldwide Offset (GOT). The attacker can no longer change outside request
addresses to the protected storage register by having GOT inputs read-only of the stack[17].

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3.3.5 Place Isolated Executable (PIE)

Is an alternative function can use at run time, rendering the executable behavior a dynamic external
library at the time of connecting and installing. This function brings more pseudo random to the
process of connecting and installing. Remember that ASLR predates PIE and ASLR does not allow
PIE to be allowed[17].

4. The recent research to detect and solve the buffer overflow:

There are many studies and the inventions in a big and important subject in the field of software
engineering and security related to the characteristics of the devices running it due to the gaps and
weaknesses that cause cyber security violations, for example, the buffer overflow capacity in many
way, I chose the following from them:
1- Inventor Murthy, Praveen research [16] explained a method to reduce buffer overflow problems
as illustrated by the method summarized in the table.
2-Researcher display how to detecting buffer overflow via a synthesis of assertions from templates
and k-induction[6]
3-Researcher enhancing the software development cycle to reduce buffer by using maturity model
(SD2-C2M2)[8].
4-Researcher proposed static analysis Firm Scanner to study the implement level security issues in
software components of IoT [19]
5- Researcher fixed problem in Amazon Web Services (AWS) like overflow and more by the result
of the model which improve the software developer practice[1].
6-Researcher proposed BOVP model to predict vulnerability in buffer over flow[18].
7-In the aim of discovering security vulnerabilities such as buffer overflows or crashes, Fuzzing
continuously implement with all kind of input varieties[7].
Although numerous methods of buffer overflow detection be present, many of these solutions hurt
from great difficulty and/or poor efficiency[6].so we can't pass judgment on the effectiveness of any
method if there are experimental opportunities available for a reasonable period of time and be
supported on the ground.

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Research title Aim Research approach

Reducing buffer Minimize and The approach takes place in more than one way by running
overflow detect occur of a program that determines the maximum length that causes
overflow a buffer overflow and the minimum length that causes the
buffer overflow through an input that causes the buffer
overflow as such The approach may require the calculation
of whether a number of calls surpass the threshold. In
reaction to the amount of calls that reach the threshold, the
approach may require adding a patch designed to avoid
buffer overflow in the request function.
This research is Detection of The buffer overflow detection technique includes gaining A
about Buffer buffer overflow software script formed by the buffer indicator parameter to
overflow obtain storage spots in a cycle, gaining a statement
disclosure framework planned to produce dependence in the program
depend of a code between the buffer index parameter and the loop index
models and k- parameter, Create an statement through the statement
extrapolation framework and test that the claim is maintained by means of
composition a k-inducement and determine if a buffer overflows occur.
This paper talks enhancing the Maturity Model (SD2-C2M2) offers a browser-based
about an program method that offers a conceptual case study on the device by
advanced model development enhancing the software development cycle to reduce the
(SD2-C2M2): in cycle to reduce potential for program buffer overflow attacks.In this case
its design buffer overflow study rsearchers Prove the effectiveness of a SD2-C2M2
flexibility and technique as well program execution via reviewing that one
security . to show how best practices can be implemented to protect
against buffer overflow attacks
OVER: A need to study Internet of Things (IoT) presents numerous software-level
Overhauling the implement weaknesses, so researcher proposes a static IoT analysis

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Vulnerability level framework called Firm Scanner to identify vulnerabilities

Detection for security issues like Buffer Overflow, Resource Leaks, Malware Injection,
IoT through an in software TOCTOU, Forbidden Operations, and other weaknesses
Adaptable and components of linked to code .The study reached many important results,
Automated IoT through including that They find obsolete copies of BusyBox rife
Static Analysis static with vulnerabilities to buffer overflow, at least 1800 of the
Framework analysis firmware running v0.60.
Code-Level Fixed problem Research explains the model of application of symbolic
Model Checking in Amazon Web design testing built across the course of four years in
in the software Services (AWS) Amazon Web Services (AWS) The knowledge gained are
Development like overflow taken from proof the features of various C-, such as custom
Workflow and more by hypervisors, encryption code, boot loaders and an IoT
the result of the operating system. Applying them methods to prove the
model which correctness of industrial low-C-based system with equal
improve the effort and predictability. Traditional source code testing can
software have a substantial positive effect on the consistency of the
developer manufacturing code that the cause of a high level of security
practice. issues, regardless of the number, was the buffer overflow
compare with memory safety, functional and Null-pointer
This topic is Predict The BOVP model introduced in a study first selects the
about A vulnerability functional software origin blade afterwards structures
forecasting for buffer dynamic data stream evaluation framework at program
method for overflow operation stage by advance the decision tree algorithm
buffer overflow through choice with Gini coefficient. Lastly, a weakness
of program detection approach centered off program measures is
criteria and deep introduced. An ability in template BOVP is checked through
learn tests employing system origin code coded in various
program idiom, and the foretelling reports are better exact

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than previous techniques, and the duration needed to the

collection of data obtained through C++&C were lower and
the precision performance existed 82.53 percent.
Fuzzing :Hack, Important FUZZ Checking, is the method of discovering security
Art, and Science Fuzzing to issues in input parsing code by continuously checking the
detect buffer converter with changed, or fudged, inputs. Thousands of
overflow security weakness were discovered when fuzzing programs
of all kinds. If the program is coded in low-level language
such as C or C++, the risk becomes even greater because
security vulnerabilities are generally simpler to exploit then.
If the program is written in high-level handled code such as
Java or C #, Fuzzing can expose unmanaged exclusions that
may or may not be critical to security based on the content.

6. Conclusion & Future Work:

In this paper, we outlined buffer overflow attack concept which means the code exceed the capacity
of the buffer. Types are stack ,heap , integer, string-formats and Unicode offer flow .Vulnerable
that’s make the program to crash and also compromise an intruder, protection mechanism from
exploiting vulnerabilities which are data execution prevention, address space Layout randomization,
stack cookies and canaries, read-only the global offset table and place isolated executable . The last
view of recent research to detect and solve the buffer overflow in many way. Buffer overflow attack
is a common vulnerability of software security, cyber risks, and an inspiring field for many
researchers and those interested. There must be support for modern methods, comparison among
them, and the conclusion of judgments that are useful in solving a large part of this threat.

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7. Reference

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Copyright © 2020 Samah Muhammed S. ALHusayn, Dr. Emad Alsuwat, AJRSP. This is an open-access
article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY NC).

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