SigFree: A Signature-Free Buffer Overflow Attack Blocker

—We propose SigFree, an online signature-free out-of-the-box application-layer method for blocking code-injection buffer overflow attack messages targeting at various Internet services such as web service. Motivated by the observation that buffer overflow attacks typically contain executables whereas legitimate client requests never contain executables in most Internet services, SigFree blocks attacks by detecting the presence of code. Unlike the previous code detection algorithms, SigFree uses a new w analysis technique called code abstraction that is generic, fast, and hard for exploit code to evade. SigFree is signature free, thus it can block new and unknown buffer overflow attacks; SigFree is also immunized from most attack-side code obfuscation methods. Since SigFree is a transparent deployment to the servers being protected, it is good for economical Internet-wide deployment with very low deployment and maintenance cost. We implemented and tested SigFree; our experimental stud...

• Type: Journal
• Year: 2010
• Where: TDSC
• Authors: Xinran Wang, Chi-Chun Pan, Peng Liu, Sencun Zhu
• Keywords: Code, Internet Services, Signature-free Out-of-the-box Application-layer, TDSC 2010