Unlocking Information Security: From Cryptography to Buffer Overflows
2020
I studied cryptography, software vulnerabilities and buffer overflows in Tel Aviv University’s information security course.
Date: 2020-12-01
Speakers: Avishai Wool, Dan Gittik
Course and Scope
I followed Unlocking Information Security I: From Cryptography to Buffer Overflows, offered by Tel Aviv University through edX and taught by Avishai Wool and Dan Gittik. The course connects cryptographic protections with vulnerabilities in software implementation.
Vulnerabilities and Attack Surface
Encryption alone does not secure an application. Input validation, authorization boundaries, memory management and error handling all contribute to its security posture. A buffer overflow can arise when a program accesses memory outside an allocated buffer; exploitability depends on the runtime environment, mitigations and program behavior.
Cryptography and Authentication
The associated coursework covers classical ciphers, XOR, stream and block ciphers, and AES examples. Confidentiality must be distinguished from integrity and authentication. Cryptographic hash functions serve different purposes from encryption and require careful selection for their intended use.
Practical Exercises
The supplied coursework archive contains exercises involving Caesar ciphers, XOR, RC4, AES, hash functions and SQL injection. The exercises focus on cryptographic primitives and common implementation vulnerabilities.
Related Course Notes
Source: Tel Aviv University, Unlocking Information Security I course syllabus and the supplied coursework archive.