ROPn

ROPn refers to a family of vulnerabilities that exploit the Return-Oriented Programming (ROP) technique. Return-Oriented Programming is a memory corruption exploit technique that allows an attacker to execute code on a target machine even when protections like non-executable memory (NX bit) are in place. Instead of injecting new malicious code, ROP attackers chain together small snippets of existing code, known as "gadgets," that are already present in the program's memory. These gadgets typically end with a return instruction, allowing the attacker to chain them together to perform arbitrary operations.

ROPn specifically denotes a scenario where this ROP technique is used in a more advanced or layered fashion, or where there are specific conditions or targets related to the ROP chain. The "n" in ROPn can sometimes indicate a specific version, iteration, or a notable instance of such an attack. These vulnerabilities often arise from flaws in how software handles user-supplied input, leading to buffer overflows or other memory corruption issues that attackers can leverage to control the program's instruction pointer. By carefully selecting and ordering gadgets, an attacker can effectively hijack the program's control flow to achieve their malicious objectives, such as gaining elevated privileges or exfiltrating sensitive data. Defending against ROPn and similar ROP attacks involves a combination of software security practices, such as secure coding, and system-level mitigations like Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR) and Data Execution Prevention (DEP).