Remote Code Execution Attack (RCE)

What is an RCE (Remote code execution) attack?

It is a bug in a service receiving data from a network port that allows a packet to include a bit of malware that gets executed by the service.

RCE attackers scan the internet for vulnerable applications.?Once they spot a remote code vulnerability, they attack it over a network.

Remote code execution (RCE) is when an attacker accesses a target computing device and makes changes remotely, no matter where the device is located.

Remote code execution is the ability an attacker has to access someone else's computing device and make changes, no matter where the device is geographically located.

How RCE works?

• There are different ways of performing a remote code execution because it can target different layers of a server.
• Injecting code and taking over the instruction pointer are two common ways to carry out an RCE.?
• This makes it possible for an attacker to direct someone to carry out the next command or operation.?
• Code can be injected in a variety of places and ways, but once this is the case, attackers must "point" at the injected code for it to be executed.?
• The actual code itself could take the shape of a script, command, or another item.

Types of RCE Attack

• Injection attack - various applications allow user-supplied input to execute commands. Attackers can provide deliberately malformed input data to execute arbitrary code.
• De-Serialization attack - applications often use serialization to organize data for easier communication. Deserialization programs can interpret user-supplied serialized data as executable code.
• Out-of-bounds write (or) Buffer overflow and buffer over-read - applications often allocate fixed memory chunks to store data. Memory allocation flaws allow attackers to supply inputs that write outside the buffer the memory stores executable code, including malicious code.

Impacts of RCE ?

• Access to an application or server
• Penetration
• Privilege escalation
• Access to data
• Denial of service (DOS)
• Ransomware and cryptomining

?Malware execution to an attacker gaining full control over a compromised machine.

Ways to Prevent RCE?

• Regular security updates
• Traffic monitoring
• Input sanitation and access control
• Memory management

Regularly updating software, web servers, databases, and operating systems?is another good practice to avoid RCE. Using secure communication protocols, such as HTTPS and SFTP, can prevent RCE attacks by encrypting data and preventing tampering.