Re: stack - max stack size (KB)

From: srt@nospam.unt.edu
Date: 01/30/02 

From: srt@nospam.unt.edu
Date: 30 Jan 2002 05:41:01 GMT

In comp.security.unix gaius.petronius <rut@linuxmail.org> wrote:

> referring to the /etc/security/limits.conf file on Linux,
> can the value of stack - max stack size (KB) prevent buffer overflow
> exploits in poorly designed programs?

Nope -- because buffer overflow exploits are overrunning buffers that
are legitimately allocated on the stack (and staying within the
stack's allocated memory). They're not making the stack itself
overflow, so limiting the amount of memory for the stack wouldn't help
at all.... 

-- 
Steve Tate --- srt[At]cs.unt.edu | Gratuitously stolen quote:
Dept. of Computer Sciences       | "The box said 'Requires Windows 95, NT, 
University of North Texas        |  or better,' so I installed Linux."
Denton, TX  76201                |

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