Class 01 · KP 15 / 18

How the Labs Map to the Arms Race

Each attack technique provoked a defense; each defense provoked a new attack.

Labs 1--2: the classic overflow and shellcode injection. This is where NX / DEP first bites.
Lab 3: format strings give arbitrary read and write, a different primitive from overflow.
Lab 4: ROP defeats NX by reusing existing code.
Lab 5: an information leak defeats ASLR, then a GOT overwrite redirects control; a full remote chain.
Labs 6--7: modern targets, heap and kernel, where use-after-free dominates real-world 0-days.

Key Takeaway

By Lab 7 you will have walked the same path attackers and defenders walked over the last three decades.