Summary

Summary

Buffer overruns are responsible for many highly damaging security bugs. This chapter has explained how several varieties of overruns and format string bugs can alter the program flow of your applications. I'm hoping that if you have a better understanding of how your attackers take advantage of these errors, you will have a more thorough approach to dealing with user input. We've also taken a look at some of the more common string-handling functions and how these functions contribute to unsafe code. Some solutions are also presented proper use of string classes or the Strsafe.h can help make your code more robust and trustworthy. Lastly, it always pays to understand the limitations of your tools. Stack-checking compiler options offer a safety net, but they are not a substitute for writing robust, secure code in the first place.