A cyber security analyst is tasked with implementing a control to mitigate a recently discovered buffer overflow vulnerability within a critical application. Which of the following is the BEST control to implement in order to directly address the vulnerability?
Increasing the size of buffers within the application to accommodate larger amounts of data.
Input validation to control the amount and type of data accepted by the application.
Installing a web application firewall (WAF) to monitor incoming traffic and block potential attacks.
Creating backups of application data to ensure it can be restored in the event of data corruption.
A buffer overflow vulnerability occurs when a program writes more data to a buffer than it is able to hold, potentially allowing an attacker to overwrite adjacent memory and execute arbitrary code. Implementing proper input validation is the best direct control to mitigate this vulnerability as it ensures that only data that meets specific criteria (such as length, type, and format) is accepted, preventing excessive input that could lead to a buffer overflow.
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What exactly is a buffer overflow, and why is it a risk?
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What is input validation, and how does it help prevent vulnerabilities?
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What are some other controls that can complement input validation to enhance application security?