CYRIN Has a New Cybersecurity Lab: Buffer Overflow Attacks and Defenses

Architecture Technology Corporation Has Developed a New Lab on CYRIN, their virtual Cybersecurity Cyber Range

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn., Aug. 26, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Buffer overflow is a software bug or vulnerability that can be exploited by attackers to gain unauthorized access to systems. It is one of the best-known software security vulnerabilities and it remains common. In CYRIN's new lab called Buffer Overflow Attacks and Defenses, students are taught techniques that can reduce the likelihood of buffer overflow bugs.

A buffer overflow happens when a program writes more data to a data structure, such as a string or array, than the memory allocated to that structure can hold. The data that does not fit into the structure "overflows" into surrounding memory and corrupts adjacent memory structures. An attacker can take advantage of this to insert and run malicious code.

Why this is Important
Now students can see how memory is organized in a running program, and they will learn how to craft an exploit that takes advantage of a buffer overflow bug in a vulnerable program. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability will give them root (super user) access to the system. 

Students will also learn about programming practices that can reduce the likelihood of buffer overflow bugs, and operating system protections that can make it harder for attackers to exploit such bugs, and ways in which these attacks can be detected.

To run this lab students will need some familiarity with the Linux command line as well as an understanding of basic programming language concepts. Each quarter CYRIN aims to introduce at least one more lab or scenario onto the platform. 

These continuous and rigorous development efforts keep CYRIN at the forefront of new and innovative ways to train and teach cybersecurity. Inexpensive, easy-to-use and tailored to your schedule, the CYRIN virtual cybersecurity cyber range is your entry to the world of cybersecurity. To learn more about our content visit the CYRIN catalog page.

The Team
ATC-NY, based in Ithaca, NY, is the cybersecurity division of Architecture Technology Corporation, and responsible for CYRIN development. They work with numerous commercial, educational and government agencies, including the Department of Defense, who helped support the effort to develop CYRIN. To see more visit https://cyrin.atcorp.com/.

About Architecture Technology Corporation
Architecture Technology Corporation (ATCorp) is headquartered in Eden Prairie, MN. ATCorp specializes in advanced research and software-intensive solutions for complex problems in Information Security, Cybersecurity, Enterprise-Scale Network Computing, AI, and Machine Learning. To read more about their products and services, visit ATCorp at https://www.atcorp.com.

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SOURCE Architecture Technology Corporation