What is an early type of buffer attack called?

A noop sled is an early type of buffer attack that utilizes a sequence of no-operation (NOP) instructions to construct a payload that can successfully exploit a buffer overflow vulnerability. In a buffer overflow attack, an attacker sends more data to a buffer than it can hold, which can overwrite adjacent memory locations. The noop sled helps direct the execution flow into a harmful payload, often by extending the area of valid instructions that the processor can execute.

In this context, a noop sled serves as a means to create a landing zone for malicious code. The no-op commands act as a filler that the processor will execute harmlessly until it eventually encounters the payload, increasing the chances of successful exploitation, especially when the exact address of the payload is uncertain.

This technique reflects a fundamental understanding of memory management and instruction execution in computer systems, emphasizing the significance of buffer management vulnerabilities and the strategies attackers use to leverage them.