live data n.
1. Data that is written to be interpreted and
takes over program flow when triggered by some un-obvious
operation, such as viewing it. One use of such hacks is to break
security. For example, some smart terminals have commands that
allow one to download strings to program keys; this can be used to
write live data that, when listed to the terminal, infects it with
a security-breaking virus that is triggered the next time a
hapless user strikes that key. For another, there are some
well-known bugs in vi that allow certain texts to send
arbitrary commands back to the machine when they are simply viewed.
2. In C code, data that includes pointers to function hooks
(executable code). 3. An object, such as a trampoline, that
is constructed on the fly by a program and intended to be executed
as code.
1. Data that is written to be interpreted and
takes over program flow when triggered by some un-obvious
operation, such as viewing it. One use of such hacks is to break
security. For example, some smart terminals have commands that
allow one to download strings to program keys; this can be used to
write live data that, when listed to the terminal, infects it with
a security-breaking virus that is triggered the next time a
hapless user strikes that key. For another, there are some
well-known bugs in vi that allow certain texts to send
arbitrary commands back to the machine when they are simply viewed.
2. In C code, data that includes pointers to function hooks
(executable code). 3. An object, such as a trampoline, that
is constructed on the fly by a program and intended to be executed
as code.
Related:
- live data: n. 1. Data that is written to be interpreted and takes
over program flow when triggered by some un-obvious operation
such as viewing it. One use of such hacks is to... - letterbomb
1. n. A piece of email containing
live data intended to do nefarious things to the recipient's
machine or terminal
It used to be possible, for example, to send letterbombs... - letterbomb: 1. n. A piece of {email} containing {live data}
intended to do nefarious things to the recipient's machine or
terminal
It is possible, for example, to send letterbombs that... - magic number n.
[Unix/C; common] 1. In source code
some non-obvious constant whose value is significant... - trampoline n.
An incredibly hairy technique, found in
some HLL and program-overlay implementations (e.g
on the Macintosh), that involves on-the-fly generation... - trampoline: n. An incredibly {hairy} technique, found in some
{HLL} and program-overlay implementations (e.g
on the Macintosh), that involves on-the-fly generation... - fence: n. 1. A sequence of one or more distinguished
({out-of-band}) characters (or other data items)
used to delimit a piece of data intended to be treated... - fence n. 1.
A sequence of one or more distinguished
(out-of-band) characters (or other data items)
used to delimit a piece of data intended to be treated... - virus n.
[from the obvious analogy with biological viruses
via SF] A cracker program that searches out other programs...
