Writing Kernel Exploits
Keegan McAllister
Fri Jan 27, 05-07:00pm, 4-231
Single session event
Prereq: Experience with C on \*NIX is important. x86 assembly is hel
Did you know that a NULL pointer can compromise your entire system? Do you know how UNIX pipes, multithreading, and an obscure network protocol from 1981 are combined to take over Linux machines today? OS kernels are full of strange and interesting vulnerabilities, thanks to the subtle nature of systems code. And the kernel's ultimate authority is the ultimate prize for an attacker.
In this talk you will learn how kernel exploits work, with detailed code examples. Compared to userspace, exploiting the kernel requires a whole different bag of tricks, and we'll cover some of the most important ones. We will focus on Linux systems and x86 hardware, though most ideas will generalize. We'll start with a few toy examples, then look at some real, high-profile Linux exploits from the past two years.
You will also see how to protect your own Linux machines against kernel exploits. We'll talk about the continual cat-and-mouse game between system administrators and those who would attack even hardened kernels.
Web: http://sipb.mit.edu/iap
Contact: Keegan McAllister, sipb-iap-kernel@mit.edu
Sponsor: Student Information Processing Board
Cosponsor: Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Latest update: 09-Jan-2012
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