Hacking: The Art of Exploitation, 2nd Edition

Hacking: The Art of Exploitation, 2nd Edition
by Jon Erickson

Hacking: The Art of Exploitation, 2nd Edition
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Book Summary Information

Author: Jon Erickson
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2008-02-04
ISBN: 1593271441
Number of pages: 488
Publisher: No Starch Press

Book Reviews of Hacking: The Art of Exploitation, 2nd Edition

Book Review: Find out how deep the rabbit hole really goes
Summary: 4 Stars

The easiest way to sum up this book is simply "wow." Erickson discusses the fundamentals of exploits (hacks) on local machines and remote machines, and also hits on a bit of cryptology. The meat of book is sandwiched by something of an inner dialogue and history of hacking, which alone are worth the cost of the book. This book is not for the layman or the faint of heart- you have to know how to write code, and you have to at least know how to read Intel x86 assembly, if not write it. It also doesn't hurt to know how programs are actually executed- beyond just double-clicking an icon- I'm talking about stacks and heaps and everything else. The second chapter is possibly the most elegant summary of programming and the C language I have ever seen, ever, but nothing beats a few years "in the trenches."

So once you've refreshed your basics of programming, Erickson gets right into it, discussing buffer overflows. He builds up from the most simple concepts into more and more complicated tools- which seems to be exactly how we have arrived at modern exploits; the hackers and the anti-hackers have been co-evolving over the years. Next comes hacking remote machines, including how to cover your tracks- which I found to be some of the most devious ideas presented. If you take your time, and run some of the exploits yourself on the included CD, you will come away with an incredible knowledge of how many exploits work from their most fundamental level. If you're anything like me, you will enjoy the "hunt" of trying to counter the exploit before Erickson explains the solution. Also, if you're anything like me, you will walk away from the book shaking your head at the rut called ASCII that we've worked ourselves into.

I think this is another one of those books that needs to be on a mandatory reading list for all CS bachelors degree. It seems to me that most of the exploits wouldn't be a problem if programmers were a bit more diligent in their coding. strcpy() is your enemy, strncpy() is your friend. Always always ALWAYS be 100% suspicious of any input supplied from a user- check for illegal characters. Instead of if(functionThatReturnsTrue), try if(functionThatReturnsTrue == True). The list goes on and on. Computers do only what they are told, and if you leave a hole in your program that allows someone else to tell the computer what to do to save yourself the second or two it takes to hit a few more keys, well then you deserve to be hacked and summarily lose your job. Due diligence: do it- maybe then the real engineering disciplines won't be so mad when code monkeys call themselves engineers.

From what I can gather, the first edition was too terse. I think the second edition was a bit long-winded at times. And there's no discussion of hacking a Windows machine. However, this is still by far the best general hacking book out there.

Summary of Hacking: The Art of Exploitation, 2nd Edition

Hacking is the art of creative problem solving, whether that means finding an unconventional solution to a difficult problem or exploiting holes in sloppy programming. Many people call themselves hackers, but few have the strong technical foundation needed to really push the envelope.

Rather than merely showing how to run existing exploits, author Jon Erickson explains how arcane hacking techniques actually work. To share the art and science of hacking in a way that is accessible to everyone, Hacking: The Art of Exploitation, 2nd Edition introduces the fundamentals of C programming from a hacker's perspective.

The included LiveCD provides a complete Linux programming and debugging environment--all without modifying your current operating system. Use it to follow along with the book's examples as you fill gaps in your knowledge and explore hacking techniques on your own. Get your hands dirty debugging code, overflowing buffers, hijacking network communications, bypassing protections, exploiting cryptographic weaknesses, and perhaps even inventing new exploits. This book will teach you how to:

  • Program computers using C, assembly language, and shell scripts
  • Corrupt system memory to run arbitrary code using buffer overflows and format strings
  • Inspect processor registers and system memory with a debugger to gain a real understanding of what is happening
  • Outsmart common security measures like nonexecutable stacks and intrusion detection systems
  • Gain access to a remote server using port-binding or connect-back shellcode, and alter a server's logging behavior to hide your presence
  • Redirect network traffic, conceal open ports, and hijack TCP connections
  • Crack encrypted wireless traffic using the FMS attack, and speed up brute-force attacks using a password probability matrix

Hackers are always pushing the boundaries, investigating the unknown, and evolving their art. Even if you don't already know how to program, Hacking: The Art of Exploitation, 2nd Edition will give you a complete picture of programming, machine architecture, network communications, and existing hacking techniques. Combine this knowledge with the included Linux environment, and all you need is your own creativity.

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