Subject: Re: read {write,only} stack
To: Carl S Shapiro <cshapiro@sparky.ic.sunysb.edu>
From: Brett Lymn <blymn@baea.com.au>
List: current-users
Date: 08/20/1997 16:59:50
According to Carl S Shapiro:
>
>Is there any way to prevent the stack from being executable?
>

For the i386 architecture there was some linux hacks that would stop
the stack being executable - dunno how portable they would be, if at
all.  You need to be careful about doing this though as the changes
are more than just a kernel hack.  IIRC gcc relies on an executable
stack for some of it's trampoline code which means that some things
could break with a non-executable stack.  The up side is that it does
provide a convenient method of preventing the fixed-buffer overrun type
exploits that are currently fashionable in the cracker community.

-- 
Brett Lymn, Computer Systems Administrator, British Aerospace Australia
===============================================================================
  What do you get when you cross a cantaloup with a dog?        Melancholy :-P