B4: Exploit Development, RE & Malware Analysis
Binary Exploitation Deep: Heap, Format String, UAF & ROP
Memory corruption primitives, exploit mitigations, and safe CTF/lab practice.
Binary exploitation teaches how software fails at the memory level. Practice this in CTFs and local labs for vulnerability research and defensive understanding.
| Bug class | Core idea | What to learn |
|---|---|---|
| Stack overflow | Input overwrites stack data. | Stack layout, canaries, NX, PIE, ASLR. |
| Heap overflow | Heap metadata or adjacent chunks are corrupted. | Allocators, bins, tcache, safe-linking. |
| Format string | Attacker controls formatting tokens. | Info leaks and controlled reads/writes in labs. |
| Use-after-free | Code uses memory after lifetime ends. | Object lifetime, heap grooming, type confusion. |
| ROP | Reuse existing code gadgets when code injection is blocked. | Calling conventions, gadget chains, mitigations. |