Buffer Overflows

Description

You should use your ubuntu instance to complete the following.

We are going to take a look at how to overflow a simple buffer of some c code to gain terminal access. Answer the following questions where indicated.

Here is a simple video to get you started.

I had to edit the /etc/network/interfaces file to something like this:

    auto eth0
    iface eth0 inet static
      address 144.38.216.29
      netmask 255.255.255.248
      gateway 144.38.216.25
      dns-nameservers 8.8.8.8

• In your home directory you should install two c programs, buffer.c and hack.c. These are found here and here.
• Compile buffer.c gcc -o buffer buffer.c
• Run it and type in a bunch of characters and hit enter. To run it, you just type ./buffer. You may have to chmod +x to make it executable. It then waits for you to type in a string. Type one in and see what happens.
  
• Type a very long string in, you should see something like *** stack smashing detected ***: ./buffer terminated.
  • Make a note of the maximum number of characters that you can type in without getting the above error?
• Now, recompile the above code without stack smashing protection
  • gcc -fno-stack-protector -U_FORTIFY_SOURCE -o buffer buffer.c
• Run the code again with lots of characters.
  • What does the new error message say?
• Run the code 3 or 4 times
  • Record the address of where that is trying to run each time. The address is indicated by the value of buffer, something like buffer = 0xbffd09c0.
  • Note that this address changes each time you run the program. Why does that change?
• Disable address space randomization in linux by doing: sudo /bin/sh -c "echo 0 > /proc/sys/kernel/randomize_va_space". (If you need to re-enable it, you can change the 0 to a 1)
• Run your code again 3 or 4 more times.
  • What happens to the address now.
  • Why does it not change?
• Compile hack.c gcc -o hack hack.c
• We are going to feed the output of hack.c (which generates some specially crafted input) into our buffer program.
• First we will recompile buffer.c one more time gcc -fno-stack-protector -z execstack -o buffer buffer.c
  • What do the options fno-stack-protector and execstack do? (See google)(I will ask you this on your submission file)
• You will have to do a apt-get install execstack
• Verify that the execstack is appropriately set by issuing execstack -q buffer (just make sure there aren’t any weird errors)
• Now issue the following:
  • ./hack [buffer address] [diff] | ./buffer , where the inputs to buffer address and diff are given by a run of ./buffer
• Ideally now you have a shell, try to type ls and hit enter. (Ctrl-D to exit the shell)
  • Take a print screen of your buffer overflow.

To submit

A single pdf with the answers to the following questions. Many of these answers will require you to do some research on your part.

• What is a buffer overflow?
• How does address space randomization mitigate buffer overflows?
• How else can you prevent buffer overflows?
• What do the options fno-stack-protector and execstack do? (See google)
• Find a recent vulnerability of a buffer overflow and report what program it affects and anything else interesting about it.
• Include a screenshot of your above buffer overflow working.

Last Updated 12/12/2022