Buffer overflow
Also called: buffer overflow attack
Course: AP® Cybersecurity Shows up in: Unit 5: Securing Applications and Data
An attack that feeds more data into a fixed-size buffer in memory than was allotted, overwriting nearby memory to crash the system or run unauthorized code.
Appears in the course and exam description (CED): 5.1.B.75.1.B.85.6.E.3
Why it matters in Unit 5
In web logs: very long URLs, cookies, query strings or requests.
Example
A username field sent 6,000 characters of A.
Learn it properly, with a checkpoint 5.1 Application and Data Vulnerabilities and Attacks