Comodo not using ASLR - why?

Hello,

Is there a reason why Comodo does not use ASLR (Address Space Layout Randomization, Address space layout randomization - Wikipedia ) ? When I force its use thorugh group policy, everything appears to be working fine.

I think u didnt read ur post carefully coz most operating system have it enabled by default so no need of incorporation in cis

Microsoft Windows

Microsoft’s Windows Vista (released January 2007), Windows Server 2008, Windows 7, and Windows Server 2008 R2 have ASLR enabled by default, although only for those executables and dynamic link libraries specifically linked to be ASLR-enabled.[7] This did not include Internet Explorer 7 on Windows Vista prior to Service Pack 1; ASLR and DEP are both disabled for application compatibility purposes.[8] Newer versions, including Internet Explorer 8 (released March 2009), enable these protections. A registry setting is available to forcibly enable or disable ASLR for all executables and libraries, found at “HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management\MoveImages”.[9] ASLR can be disabled in Windows 7, by using the Enhanced Mitigation Experience Toolkit provided by Microsoft, (the MoveImages registry setting has no effect in Windows 7).

The locations of the heap, stack, Process Environment Block, and Thread Environment Block are also randomized. A security whitepaper from Symantec noted that ASLR in 32-bit Windows Vista may not be as robust as expected, and Microsoft has acknowledged a weakness in its implementation.[10]

Host-based Intrusion prevention systems such as WehnTrust[11] and Ozone[12] also offer ASLR for Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 operating systems; however complete details of their implementation are not available.[13]
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Host-based Intrusion prevention systems such as WehnTrust[11] and Ozone[12] also offer ASLR for Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 operating systems; however complete details of their implementation are not available.[13]

Please provide a link to the article you are quoting.

Thanks,
Ewen :slight_smile:

That is not true - programs need to have ASLR enabled themselves (be linked with support for ASLR). Just check it using Process Explorer - it clearly shows that Comodo does not run with ASLR enabled.

Its a feature of an operating system. It gives 256 chances for an adress of a process.
Why should a firewall have ASLR, while the operation system has it? Randomization of randomization…

Which firewall and hips product does use this? (process explorer screen)
Can you disable comodo when you know the path of the process?
Is comodo protection useless for xp users? (Your questions produce kind of these questions in my head :smiley: )

A firewall should have ASLR for the same reason as file managers, download mangers, internet browsers, mail programs have it (among loads of others). It provides protection against buffer overflow attacks that comodo might miss (when the buffer overflow attack is directed at comodo) or against shellcodes.

Operating system has ASLR for its own images - not for other programs. E.g. comodo images always start at 0x00400000 (IIRC). Hence making comodo at least randomize its base address would help.

Currently, it is microsoft products that use it (windows defender, microsoft security essentials) and preview versions of Agnitum and NOD32 products.

Just because ASLR is not available for winxp does not mean that Comodo should ignore it for win7.

Comodo has buffer overflow-, shellcode injection protection. Under the settings for defense+.

And it has self protection. If there was a scenario which could circumvent protections by simply using the adress of the process, why should matousec not test with these scenarios? Comodo gets 100% there. And vista and 7 are out a while.
I dont want to discuss away ASLR, i just dont get the importance in this case :smiley:

Don’t you know the type of user who disables Defense+ temporarily to test something or get something to work? When they do that, self-protection is off (you can test it using VMMap) - and knowing the address of the images and other memory parts helps to execute a buffer overflow attack. With ASLR enabled, Comodo itself is more protected at all times, even with Defense+ disabled.

+1 If true

Yes, like so often… there are cases :wink:

I use server 2008 SP2 and ASLR is enabled by default to everything, 99,9% of software work with no problem including comodo.