Independence from obfuscation: a semantic framework for diversity

Pucella, R.; Schneider, F.B. 

Computer Security Foundations Workshop, 2006. 19th IEEE, Vol., Iss., 5-7
July 2006

Pages: 12 pp.

Abstract: A set of replicas is diverse to the extent that all implement the
same functionality but differ in their implementation details. Diverse
replicas are less prone to having vulnerabilities in common, because attacks
typically depend on memory layout and/or instruction-sequence specifics.
Recent work advocates using mechanical means, such as program rewriting, to
create such diversity. A correspondence between the specific transformations
being employed and the attacks they defend against is often provided, but
little has been said about the overall effectiveness of diversity per se in
defending against attacks. With this broader goal in mind, we here give a
precise characterization of attacks, applicable to viewing diversity as a
defense, and also show how mechanically-generated diversity compares to a
well-understood defense: strong typing.

URL:
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red=&arAuthor=Pucella%2C+R.%3B+Schneider%2C+F.B.