Überlaufangriff

Überlaufangriff, also known as buffer overflow attack, is a type of software vulnerability where a program attempts to write data beyond the allocated buffer size in memory. This can overwrite adjacent memory areas, potentially corrupting data, crashing the program, or even allowing an attacker to execute arbitrary code. When a program receives more input than it is designed to handle for a specific buffer, the excess data spills over into neighboring memory locations.

The consequences of a successful überlaufangriff can range from denial-of-service conditions, where the program or system becomes unstable and crashes, to security breaches. In the latter case, attackers can craft specific input that, when overflowing a buffer, overwrites critical program instructions or data structures. By carefully controlling the overflowed data, an attacker might redirect the program's execution flow to malicious code they have injected into memory.

Exploiting überlaufangriffe often requires detailed knowledge of the target program's memory layout and the specific architecture it runs on. Modern operating systems and compilers incorporate various security mechanisms, such as stack canaries, address space layout randomization (ASLR), and data execution prevention (DEP), to mitigate the risks associated with buffer overflows. However, these protections are not always foolproof and can sometimes be bypassed with advanced techniques. Developers work to prevent these vulnerabilities by using safe programming practices, employing bounds checking for data inputs, and utilizing modern programming languages and libraries that offer built-in protections against buffer overflows.