Segmentation faults can pose a significant security risk, primarily through buffer overflow attacks. In such an attack, an adversary intentionally causes a segmentation fault by overloading the buffer with more data than it can handle. This results in data spilling into adjacent memory segments, potentially overwriting critical information or code.
The overwritten code could be manipulated to execute malicious instructions when the program attempts to return control to the original location. This is known as arbitrary code execution and can lead to severe consequences like unauthorized access or system crashes.
Moreover, if the overwritten segment contains sensitive data, it may leak confidential information. For instance, passwords stored in plaintext might get exposed during a segmentation fault, leading to potential identity theft or unauthorized access.
To mitigate these risks, developers should employ secure coding practices, including proper input validation, bounds checking, and using programming languages that inherently protect against buffer overflows.
