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The Linux kernel memory allocators from an exploitation perspective

In anticipation of Dan Rosenberg’s talk on exploiting the Linux kernel’s SLOB memory allocator at the Infiltrate security conference and because I recently had a discussion with some friends about the different kernel memory allocators in Linux, I decided to write this quick introduction. I will present some of the allocators’ characteristics and also provide references to public work on exploitation techniques.

AthCon 2011 update

CENSUS has participated once again at AthCon, the leading technical IT security conference in Greece. Our work entitled “Introducing the Parasite” presented a small device that is capable of creating a physical backdoor in an otherwise protected network.

FreeBSD kernel exploitation mitigations

In my recent Black Hat Europe 2010 talk I gave an overview of the kernel exploitation prevention mechanisms that exist on FreeBSD. A few people at the conference have subsequently asked me to elaborate on the subject. In this post I will collect all the information from my talk and the various discussions I had in the Black Hat conference hallways.