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Benefits of Microsoft Windows x64 Editions
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| bet | 12/19 | | Sana | 21.03.2017 | | Hajmi | 222.5 Kb. | | #431 |
Security
An important new feature in the x64 processor architecture is the Data Execution Protection (DEP) bit that controls which areas of memory can be used to execute code. While AMD and Intel have different names and slightly different implementations for this feature, the result is an enhanced layer of hardware protection against some of the most destructive worms and exploits of the past several years.
Buffer Overflow
A buffer overflow occurs when a data buffer is stuffed with more data than it is designed to handle. (I use buffer overflow as a generic term for exploits that load executable code into areas that are supposed to only contain data, then jump program execution into that code by overloading heaps, stacks, and other memory pools.) For example, if your email client is designed to handle attachments with a maximum of 255-character filenames and you receive a message that has a filename with 256 characters, a buffer overflow can occur. When this happens, adjacent memory space gets overwritten and malicious code can end up being executed with the privileges associated with the original program. The infamous MSBlaster worm was this type of exploit.
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