Re: Partial Hardware Protection for Buffer Overrun Exploits

[Robert A Duff <bobduff@shell01.TheWorld.com>]

Vinzent Hoefler <ada.rocks@jlfencey.com> writes:

> There is already an easier solution (at least for x86-CPU's): Don't
> use a purely flat model, with this I mean, you shouldn't use the same
> address space for both data/stack and code. This could already be
> accomplished with the standard protection/paging features of the x86.

Well, on any machine that has an "executable" protection bit on each
page, you (the OS) can simply make sure all executable memory is
read-only.  No need for the x86 segmentation junk.  But as you and
others say, that disallows all kinds of useful stuff like trampolines
and self-modifying code (JIT compilers and the like).

> >There has to be a better solution to the current crop of
> >buffer exploits, that are being used daily.
> 
> Yes. What about using Ada? ;-)

Amen.

- Bob