how arm compiler detects stack overflows or malicious tampering

Описание: Get Free GPT4.1 from https://codegive.com/b0d2580
Detecting Stack Overflows and Malicious Tampering with the ARM Compiler: A Deep Dive

The ARM architecture and its associated compilers offer several mechanisms to detect and prevent stack overflows and attempts at malicious code tampering. These mechanisms operate at different stages: compilation, linking, and runtime. This tutorial will delve into these methods, providing detailed explanations and code examples to illustrate how they work.

*I. Understanding Stack Overflows and Code Tampering*

Before diving into the detection techniques, it's crucial to understand the threats:

*Stack Overflow:* This occurs when a program writes data beyond the allocated memory region of the stack. The stack is a memory area used for storing local variables, function parameters, and return addresses during function calls. Overflows can overwrite this data, potentially corrupting program execution, diverting control flow, or even executing malicious code injected into the overflowed region.

*Code Tampering:* This involves malicious modification of the program's instructions or data in memory. Attackers might inject malicious code, modify existing code to alter functionality, or tamper with critical data to compromise the system.

*II. Compiler-Based Protections*

The ARM compiler plays a critical role in hardening applications against these threats. Here are some key techniques:

*1. Stack Overflow Detection (Stack Protection):*

*Mechanism:* The compiler inserts a "canary" value (a random value) onto the stack before the function's local variables. At the end of the function, before returning, the compiler checks if the canary has been altered. If it has, it indicates a stack overflow.

*Compiler Flags:*
`-fstack-protector`: Enables basic stack protection. This protects functions with character arrays or larger objects on the stack.
`-fstack-protector-all`: Protects all functions, regardless of whether they have potential stack o ...

#correctcoding #correctcoding #correctcoding