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Introduction To Software Exploits

Creator:     Corey K. 

License:    Creative Commons: Attribution, Share-Alike


Class Prerequisites: Introduction to x86

Lab Requirements: The Linux VM provided below. Or any Linux VM with the provided vulnerable software examples installed.

Class Textbook: "The Shellcoder's Handbook: Discovering and Exploiting Security Holes" (2nd edition) by Chris Anley, John Heasman, Felix Lindner, Gerardo Richarte

Recommended Class Duration: 2 days

Creator Available to Teach In-Person Classes: Yes

Author Comments:

Software vulnerabilities are flaws in program logic that can be leveraged by an attacker to execute arbitrary code on a target system. This class will cover both the identification of software vulnerabilities and the techniques attackers use to exploit them. In addition, current techniques that attempt to remediate the threat of software vulnerability exploitation will be discussed.

This will be a lab driven class where specific software vulnerability types in particular environments are discussed and then exploited in a lab setting. Examples of lab components of the class as well as specific topics covered include:

    •Shellcode development

    •Stack overflow exploitation

    •Heap overflow exploitation

    •Static source code analysis

    •Defeating non-executable stack protection

The class will help students be more aware of the specific details and mechanisms of software exploits we see in the wild. This knowledge will enable the students to better analyze their own software for vulnerabilities in an effort to produce more secure code.

Class Materials

Slides (255 slides)

Slackware VM (direct download) (.torrent) (VMWare) with vulnerable software on it
  1. -zip password = “Exploits1”, accounts are student/student and root/root

  2. -md5 = c7e628f55b3416c280b949e2292ba98e

  3. -about 1.4GB compressed, about 5GB uncompressed

Full quality downloadable QuickTime, h.264, and Ogg videos at Archive.org:

Day 1 Part 1 (58:59, 687 MB)

Day 1 Part 2 (39:51, 494 MB)

Day 1 Part 3 (59:07, 704 MB)

Day 1 Part 4 (34:36, 340 MB)

Day 1 Part 5 (36:19, 381 MB)

Day 1 Part 6 (56:25, 636 MB)

Day 2 Part 1 (44:21, 465 MB)

Day 2 Part 2 (51:41, 586 MB)

Day 2 Part 3 (1:02:23, 679 MB)

Day 2 Part 4 (1:05:22, 657 MB)

Day 2 Part 5 (1:09:50, 791 MB)

(9:38:54 total, sans lab time)

The videos are useful for students, but also more useful for potential instructors who would like to teach this material. By watching the video, you will better understand the intent of some slides which do not stand on their own. You are recommended to watch the largest size video so that the most possible text is visible without having to follow along in the slides.

Revision History:

07-07-2012 - Uploaded full quality downloadable videos to Archive.org

06-20-2012 - Day 2 videos uploaded to Youtube

05-16-2012 - Day 1 videos uploaded to Youtube

06-07-2011 - Initial class content upload
