Work

Buffer Access Monitoring for Enhanced Buffer Overflow Detection in Fuzzing

Year: 2024

Type: conference-paper

Abstract: Buffer overflows remain one of the most critical and widespread vulnerabilities in software systems. Traditional fuzzing techniques often lack the precision required to reliably detect buffer overflows. This paper presents BUFFERMONITOR, a novel approach to enhancing buffer overflow detection by integrating a comprehensive buffer monitoring system into fuzzing frameworks. Using the LLVM compiler framework, we instrument the system under test to collect detailed memory access information, including the distance of each access from buffer boundaries. By prioritizing inputs that generate minimal distances to these boundaries, our method significantly improvesthe likelihood of detecting potential overflows. This approach not only increases the possibility of identifying buffer overflows but can also identify them with greater accuracy than AddressSanitizer. This provides a robust solution for enhancing software security.

Source: Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)

DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.14497331

Authors: Barakat, Ramon, Josten, Silvan, Schneider, Martin

Institution: Fraunhofer Institute for Open Communication Systems

Language: English

Topic: Software Testing and Debugging Techniques

Subfield: Software

Field: Computer Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funder: European Commission

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