Art of Software Security Assessment

Computer software is an integral part of modern society. Companies rely on applications to manage client information, payment data, and inventory tracking. Consumers use software for a variety of different reasons as well--to manage their daily lives, to communicate with friends and family, and to browse resources made available on the internet, to name a few. With such a heavy reliance on software in our society, questions surrounding the security of the pieces of software performing these various tasks begin to arise. Is the software we are using really secure? How can we verify that it is? And what are the implications of a particular application being compromised? These are some of the questions that this book attempts to address. This book sheds light on the theory and practice of code auditing--how to rip apart an application and discover security vulnerabilities."There are a number of secure programming books on the market, but none that go as deep as this one. The depth and detail exceeds all books that I know about by an order of magnitude."-Halvar Flake, CEO and head of research, SABRE Security GmbH The Definitive Insider's Guide to Auditing Software Security This is one of the most detailed, sophisticated, and useful guides to software security auditing ever written. The authors are leading security consultants and researchers who have personally uncovered vulnerabilities in applications ranging from sendmail to Microsoft Exchange, Check Point VPN to Internet Explorer. Drawing on their extraordinary experience, they introduce a start-to-finish methodology for "ripping apart" applications to reveal even the most subtle and well-hidden security flaws. The Art of Software Security Assessment covers the full spectrum of software vulnerabilities in both UNIX/Linux and Windows environments. It demonstrates how to audit security in applications of all sizes and functions, including network and Web software. Moreover, it teaches using extensive examples of real code drawn from past flaws in many of the industry's highest-profile applications. Coverage includes * Code auditing: theory, practice, proven methodologies, and secrets of the trade* Bridging the gap between secure software design and post-implementation review* Performing architectural assessment: design review, threat modeling, and operational review* Identifying vulnerabilities related to memory management, data types, and malformed data* UNIX/Linux assessment: privileges, files, and processes* Windows-specific issues, including objects and the filesystem* Auditing interprocess communication, synchronization, and state* Evaluating network software: IP stacks, firewalls, and common application protocols* Auditing Web applications and technologies This book is an unprecedented resource for everyone who must deliver secure software or assure the safety of existing software: consultants, security specialists, developers, QA staff, testers, and administrators alike. ContentsABOUT THE AUTHORS xvPREFACE xviiACKNOWLEDGMENTS xxiI Introduction to Software Security Assessment1 SOFTWARE VULNERABILITY FUNDAMENTALS 32 DESIGN REVIEW 253 OPERATIONAL REVIEW 674 APPLICATION REVIEW PROCESS 91II Software Vulnerabilities5 MEMORY CORRUPTION 1676 C LANGUAGE ISSUES 2037 PROGRAM BUILDING BLOCKS 2978 STRINGS ANDMETACHARACTERS 3879 UNIX I: PRIVILEGES AND FILES 45910 UNIX II: PROCESSES 55911 WINDOWS I: OBJECTS AND THE FILE SYSTEM 62512 WINDOWS II: INTERPROCESS COMMUNICATION 68513 SYNCHRONIZATION AND STATE 755III Software Vulnerabilities in Practice14 NETWORK PROTOCOLS 82915 FIREWALLS 89116 NETWORK APPLICATION PROTOCOLS 92117 WEB APPLICATIONS 100718 WEB TECHNOLOGIES 1083BIBLIOGRAPHY 1125INDEX 1129