Buffer Overflow Defenses. ©2002, Jedidiah R. Crandall, Susan L. Gerhart, Jan G. Hogle. http://sfsecurity.pr.erau.edu.
Find-and-patch Methods –
Software patches
•Example: The vendor, the customer, or a group concerned about software security finds a buffer overflow and a patch is written and released
•Pros:
–Very effective at preventing known buffer overflow attacks for specific vulnerabilities
•Cons:
–No protection against unknown attacks or known attacks for which a patch has not been released
–Not all patches fix the buffer overflow, some are specific to one attack but leave the buffer overflow itself in place
–The customer must regularly check for patches for their system (at the vendor’s website or www.cert.org) and install them.