Re: The 99,999-bug question: Why can you execute from the stack?

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From
Brett Glass <brett@lariat.org>
Date
19 Jul 1998 18:41:03
Subject
Re: The 99,999-bug question: Why can you execute from the stack?
Message-ID
199807200140.TAA06705@lariat.lariat.org

In reply to
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At 06:17 PM 7/19/98 -0700, Jordan K. Hubbard wrote:

>If you can make it all work and want to hack up a proof of concept, go
>for it. Right now, however, I think you're letting annoyance get the
>better part of intelligence.

I make no bones about the fact that I'm annoyed; that buffer overflow
exploit will cost me between a week and a month of tedious work. The
fact that the problem has been fixed in Linux and Solaris is a good
proof of concept.

Again, the problem is simply one of where to put a "thunk." In general,
putting it on the CPU stack is a bad idea, and the problem is starting
to bite all of us. It'll only get worse, especially so long as we use C;
the language is so prone to array overruns and buffer overflow exploits.

>More importantly, making suggestions which are almost worded like
>demands when it is very clear that you do _not_ understand the subject
>in question is only a good way of antagonizing people.

As a seasoned assembly language programmer, I understand the subjects
of memory allocation and "thunking" quite well. I don't think anyone
should feel antagonized when I emphasize the importance of fixing this
problem -- especially after the extensive personal cost it has had, and
will have, for me.

--Brett Glass



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