Re: Self-modifying code, Function pointers & { Safety, Security}

Kaz Kylheku <kaz@kylheku.com> wrote (with blank lines snipped to keep
the email-filter happy):
> On 2014-03-07, Seima Rao <seimarao@gmail.com> wrote:
> > We are used to separation of code from data at the language level.
[snip Kaz's response]
> > However, two features disupt security :
> > i) self-modifying code
> > i.e. writing to code space
> Note that loading an executable on any operating system constitutes
> the above.


I believe that the IBM system/i is an exception to that general rule.
Only the operating system can write to the code space of a program
object. This *does* contribute to the security of the system.
[Burroughs mainframes have done that since the 1960s. I wouldn't put
too much faith in the security implications though; I once saw a demo
of hacking computerized voting machines even though all of the code
was in ROM. They constructed a stack with pointers to bits of
routines that could be exploited, and then just did a return. -John]

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