Hi,
Just to clarify, buffer overruns have nothing to do with the amount of
RAM in your computer. Programs are vulnerable to buffer overruns when they
copy an unchecked string from an untrusted source (such as the Internet) to
a statically sized buffer. Unchecked being defined as when the length of
the string is not verified to be smaller than the buffer. If a string
longer than the buffer it is copied to, the buffer will be 'overran' and the
rest of the string copied past the end of the buffer (into the stack).
While this is not how all buffer overruns work, it is the most common
case, and in no case does it depend on the amount of RAM in your computer :)
- Ima :)
[View Quote]"builderz" <sawran at yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:3B703976.8F86AF86 at yahoo.com...
> Well, if someone wanted to launch a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS)
> attack against your server and you told them you were running Windows NT
> and had a 1.2 mbps upstream connection to the Internet, they could then
> estimate how many other computers they would need to compromise to flood
> your connection with useless data and knock you off-line.
>
> I don't know if you've ever heard of buffer overrun (also known as
> buffer overflow) errors, Agent, but those types of attacks exploit a
> flaw in unchecked buffers in either the OS itself or a running
> process/program and try to either crash the system or execute code. If a
> hoster listed the amount of RAM in their server(s), it would give a
> better general idea of how long it would take to accomplish this or even
> if it would be possible or not. Intelligence gathering is key if you are
> a hacker. Generally, the more you know about something, the easier it is
> to hack into.
>
> I believe that most "true" malicious hackers have a goal or motivation
> to break into your system, instead of script kiddies doing port scans on
> the same IP address range your server is located on. It also depends on
> how much (or how little) information you reveal. Just saying that you
> use Windows verses a flavor of Unix could make a difference. However,
> you are generally correct in saying that giving out your system specs
> shouldn't make you more vulnerable, Agent. Any system with any specs
> running any OS connected to the Internet has a chance of it being
> compromised.
>
> While I'm at it, let me bring up a good point, Agent. You said: "If you
> keep your OS and software updated you usually won't have a problem."
> Most people I know usually say that. However, have you seen how many
> servers have been infected with the Code Red worm (and its variants)?
> All of it could be prevented by a simple patch that was released almost
> a MONTH before the outbreak. One of the main problems is getting IT
> people to actually regularly patch and audit their systems the right
> way.
>
> Builderz
> Stuff-X - Bot & World Hosting Services
> http://aw.stuff-x.com/
> PGP Key ID: 0xAC0E7073 (for non-commercial use)
>
> agent1 wrote:
make you vulnerable. If you keep your OS and software updated you usually
won't have a problem. Also, how does giving out specifics like bandwidth,
processor speed, memory, etc. affect whether or not one can break in to your
machine?
|
