A practical approach for adaptive data structure layout randomization

Ping Chen; Jun Xu; Zhiqiang Lin; Dongyan Xu; Bing Mao; Peng Liu

doi:10.1007/978-3-319-24174-6_4

A practical approach for adaptive data structure layout randomization

Ping Chen, Jun Xu, Zhiqiang Lin, Dongyan Xu, Bing Mao, Peng Liu

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution

21 Scopus citations

Abstract

Attackers often corrupt data structures to compromise software systems. As a countermeasure, data structure layout randomization has been proposed. Unfortunately, existing techniques require manual designation of randomize-able data structures without guaranteeing the correctness and keep the layout unchanged at runtime. We present a system, called SALADS, that automatically translates a program to a DSSR (Data Structure Self-Randomizing) program. At runtime, a DSSR program dynamically randomizes the layout of each security-sensitive data structure by itself autonomously. DSSR programs regularly re-randomize a data structure when it has been accessed several times after last randomization. More importantly, DSSR programs automatically determine the randomizability of instances and randomize each instance independently. We have implemented SALADS based on gcc-4.5.0 and generated DSSR user-level applications, OS kernels, and hypervisors. Our experiments show that the DSSR programs can defeat a wide range of attacks with reasonable performance overhead.

Original language	English (US)
Title of host publication	Computer Security – ESORICS 2015 - 20th European Symposium on Research in Computer Security, Proceedings
Editors	Peter Y.A. Ryan, Günther Pernul, Edgar Weippl
Publisher	Springer Verlag
Pages	69-89
Number of pages	21
ISBN (Print)	9783319241739
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-24174-6_4
State	Published - 2015
Event	20th European Symposium on Research in Computer Security, ESORICS 2015 - Vienna, Austria Duration: Sep 21 2015 → Sep 25 2015

Publication series

Name	Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)
Volume	9326
ISSN (Print)	0302-9743
ISSN (Electronic)	1611-3349

Other

Other	20th European Symposium on Research in Computer Security, ESORICS 2015
Country/Territory	Austria
City	Vienna
Period	9/21/15 → 9/25/15

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Theoretical Computer Science
Computer Science(all)

Access to Document

10.1007/978-3-319-24174-6_4

Cite this

Chen, P., Xu, J., Lin, Z., Xu, D., Mao, B., & Liu, P. (2015). A practical approach for adaptive data structure layout randomization. In P. Y. A. Ryan, G. Pernul, & E. Weippl (Eds.), Computer Security – ESORICS 2015 - 20th European Symposium on Research in Computer Security, Proceedings (pp. 69-89). (Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics); Vol. 9326). Springer Verlag. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-24174-6_4

Chen, Ping ; Xu, Jun ; Lin, Zhiqiang et al. / A practical approach for adaptive data structure layout randomization. Computer Security – ESORICS 2015 - 20th European Symposium on Research in Computer Security, Proceedings. editor / Peter Y.A. Ryan ; Günther Pernul ; Edgar Weippl. Springer Verlag, 2015. pp. 69-89 (Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)).

@inproceedings{5c12dc09f74249d8b45539b912137b53,

title = "A practical approach for adaptive data structure layout randomization",

abstract = "Attackers often corrupt data structures to compromise software systems. As a countermeasure, data structure layout randomization has been proposed. Unfortunately, existing techniques require manual designation of randomize-able data structures without guaranteeing the correctness and keep the layout unchanged at runtime. We present a system, called SALADS, that automatically translates a program to a DSSR (Data Structure Self-Randomizing) program. At runtime, a DSSR program dynamically randomizes the layout of each security-sensitive data structure by itself autonomously. DSSR programs regularly re-randomize a data structure when it has been accessed several times after last randomization. More importantly, DSSR programs automatically determine the randomizability of instances and randomize each instance independently. We have implemented SALADS based on gcc-4.5.0 and generated DSSR user-level applications, OS kernels, and hypervisors. Our experiments show that the DSSR programs can defeat a wide range of attacks with reasonable performance overhead.",

author = "Ping Chen and Jun Xu and Zhiqiang Lin and Dongyan Xu and Bing Mao and Peng Liu",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2015. Copyright: Copyright 2015 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.; 20th European Symposium on Research in Computer Security, ESORICS 2015 ; Conference date: 21-09-2015 Through 25-09-2015",

year = "2015",

doi = "10.1007/978-3-319-24174-6_4",

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isbn = "9783319241739",

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Chen, P, Xu, J, Lin, Z, Xu, D, Mao, B & Liu, P 2015, A practical approach for adaptive data structure layout randomization. in PYA Ryan, G Pernul & E Weippl (eds), Computer Security – ESORICS 2015 - 20th European Symposium on Research in Computer Security, Proceedings. Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics), vol. 9326, Springer Verlag, pp. 69-89, 20th European Symposium on Research in Computer Security, ESORICS 2015, Vienna, Austria, 9/21/15. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-24174-6_4

A practical approach for adaptive data structure layout randomization. / Chen, Ping; Xu, Jun; Lin, Zhiqiang et al.
Computer Security – ESORICS 2015 - 20th European Symposium on Research in Computer Security, Proceedings. ed. / Peter Y.A. Ryan; Günther Pernul; Edgar Weippl. Springer Verlag, 2015. p. 69-89 (Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics); Vol. 9326).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution

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AU - Xu, Jun

AU - Lin, Zhiqiang

AU - Xu, Dongyan

AU - Mao, Bing

AU - Liu, Peng

PY - 2015

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N2 - Attackers often corrupt data structures to compromise software systems. As a countermeasure, data structure layout randomization has been proposed. Unfortunately, existing techniques require manual designation of randomize-able data structures without guaranteeing the correctness and keep the layout unchanged at runtime. We present a system, called SALADS, that automatically translates a program to a DSSR (Data Structure Self-Randomizing) program. At runtime, a DSSR program dynamically randomizes the layout of each security-sensitive data structure by itself autonomously. DSSR programs regularly re-randomize a data structure when it has been accessed several times after last randomization. More importantly, DSSR programs automatically determine the randomizability of instances and randomize each instance independently. We have implemented SALADS based on gcc-4.5.0 and generated DSSR user-level applications, OS kernels, and hypervisors. Our experiments show that the DSSR programs can defeat a wide range of attacks with reasonable performance overhead.

AB - Attackers often corrupt data structures to compromise software systems. As a countermeasure, data structure layout randomization has been proposed. Unfortunately, existing techniques require manual designation of randomize-able data structures without guaranteeing the correctness and keep the layout unchanged at runtime. We present a system, called SALADS, that automatically translates a program to a DSSR (Data Structure Self-Randomizing) program. At runtime, a DSSR program dynamically randomizes the layout of each security-sensitive data structure by itself autonomously. DSSR programs regularly re-randomize a data structure when it has been accessed several times after last randomization. More importantly, DSSR programs automatically determine the randomizability of instances and randomize each instance independently. We have implemented SALADS based on gcc-4.5.0 and generated DSSR user-level applications, OS kernels, and hypervisors. Our experiments show that the DSSR programs can defeat a wide range of attacks with reasonable performance overhead.

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T3 - Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)

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BT - Computer Security – ESORICS 2015 - 20th European Symposium on Research in Computer Security, Proceedings

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Chen P, Xu J, Lin Z, Xu D, Mao B, Liu P. A practical approach for adaptive data structure layout randomization. In Ryan PYA, Pernul G, Weippl E, editors, Computer Security – ESORICS 2015 - 20th European Symposium on Research in Computer Security, Proceedings. Springer Verlag. 2015. p. 69-89. (Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)). doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-24174-6_4

A practical approach for adaptive data structure layout randomization

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