Fuzzing: Brute Force Vulnerability Discovery

FUZZING

Master One of Today’s Most Powerful Techniques for Revealing Security Flaws!

Fuzzing has evolved into one of today’s most effective approaches to test software security. To “fuzz,” you attach a program’s inputs to a source of random data, and then systematically identify the failures that arise. Hackers have

relied on fuzzing for years: Now, it’s your turn. In this book, renowned fuzzing experts show you how to use fuzzing to reveal weaknesses in your software before someone else does.

Fuzzing is the first and only book to cover fuzzing from start to finish, bringing disciplined best practices to a technique that has traditionally been implemented informally. The authors begin by reviewing how fuzzing works and outlining its crucial advantages over other security testing methods. Next, they introduce state-of-the-art fuzzing techniques for finding vulnerabilities in network protocols, file formats, and web applications; demonstrate the use of automated fuzzing tools; and present several insightful case histories showing fuzzing at work. Coverage includes:

• Why fuzzing simplifies test design and catches flaws other methods miss

• The fuzzing process: from identifying inputs to assessing “exploitability”

• Understanding the requirements for effective fuzzing

• Comparing mutation-based and generation-based fuzzers

• Using and automating environment variable and argument fuzzing

• Mastering in-memory fuzzing techniques

• Constructing custom fuzzing frameworks and tools

• Implementing intelligent fault detection

Attackers are already using fuzzing. You should, too. Whether you’re a developer, security engineer, tester, or QA specialist, this book teaches you how to build secure software.

Foreword     xix

Preface        xxi

Acknowledgments  xxv

About the Author   xxvii

PARTI         BACKGROUND     1

Chapter 1    Vulnerability Discovery Methodologies  3

Chapter 2    What Is Fuzzing?   21

Chapter 3    Fuzzing Methods and Fuzzer Types     33

Chapter 4    Data Representation and Analysis        45

Chapter 5    Requirements for Effective Fuzzing      61

PART II      TARGETS AND AUTOMATION          71

Chapter 6    Automation and Data Generation        73

Chapter 7    Environment Variable and Argument Fuzzing 89

Chapter 8    Environment Variable and Argument Fuzzing: Automation 103

Chapter 9    Web Application and Server Fuzzing     113

Chapter 10  Web Application and Server Fuzzing: Automation    137

Chapter 11  File Format Fuzzing         169

Chapter 12  File Format Fuzzing: Automation on UNIX     181

Chapter 13  File Format Fuzzing: Automation on Windows         197

Chapter 14  Network Protocol Fuzzing         223

Chapter 15  Network Protocol Fuzzing: Automation on UNIX     235

Chapter 16  Network Protocol Fuzzing: Automation on Windows         249

Chapter 17  Web Browser Fuzzing      267

Chapter 18  Web Browser Fuzzing: Automation     283

Chapter 19  In-Memory Fuzzing         301

Chapter 20  In-Memory Fuzzing: Automation         315

PART III    ADVANCED FUZZING TECHNOLOGIES      349

Chapter 21  Fuzzing Frameworks       351

Chapter 22  Automated Protocol Dissection  419

Chapter 23  Fuzzer Tracking     437

Chapter 24  Intelligent Fault Detection 471

PART IV     LOOKING FORWARD    495

Chapter 25  Lessons Learned    497

Chapter 26  Looking Forward    507

Index 519