What is a Buffer Overflow?

A buffer overflow occurs when a program or process tries to store more data in a temporary data storage area (a buffer) than it was designed to contain. The result is that the extra information "overflows" into adjacent buffers, which can corrupt or overwrite the valid data held in those locations.

Buffer overflow is an increasingly common type of security attack. In this type of attack, the extra data may contain malicious code designed to trigger specific actions such as damaging files or releasing proprietary information.

The F5 BIG-IP® Application Security Manager monitors application requests, permitting only valid and authorized application transactions, automatically protecting against malicious attacks such as buffer overflows against the application services.

F5 products that protect against Buffer Overflow: BIG-IP Application Security Manager, BIG-IP Protocol Security Manager