Fuzzing: Brute Force Vulnerability Discovery

4. Data Representation and Analysis

“My job is to, like, think beyond the immediate.”

—George W. Bush, Washington, DC, April 21, 2004

Computers use protocols in all aspects of internal and external communication. They form the basis of the structure that is necessary for data transfer and processing to occur. If we are to fuzz successfully, we must first gain an understanding of the protocols that are used by our targets. With this understanding we will then be able to target portions of the protocols most likely to cause anomalous conditions. Moreover, to access a vulnerable portion of a protocol, we might also need to provide legitimate protocol data prior to the commencement of fuzzing. Gaining knowledge of both open and proprietary ...