buffer-overflow-lab: Demonstrate Web Buffer Overflows

Overview

buffer-overflow-lab is a Python and Flask web application for demonstrating buffer overflow vulnerabilities in a controlled setting. It is aimed at learners and secure software development training, making it possible to test inputs through a web interface and observe automated exploit scenarios.

The project is intentionally vulnerable, so its purpose is education rather than production use. Docker Compose is presented as the way to run the lab in an isolated, resource-limited environment.

Key Features

• A web interface for manually testing input sizes and boundary cases.
• An automated Python exploit demonstration using requests.
• Scenarios ranging from normal input to aggressive crash testing.
• Concurrent attack simulation using threading.
• Docker-based isolation with resource limits and no privilege escalation, as described by the project.

Use Cases

• Instructors can demonstrate how oversized input affects a vulnerable web application during secure coding training.
• Students can compare normal, boundary, and oversized inputs in a hands-on lab.
• Developers can use the scenarios to discuss why input handling and secure design matter.
• Security learners can examine a simple exploit demonstration in an isolated environment rather than against a production service.

Getting Started

With Docker and Docker Compose installed, clone the repository and start the lab:

git clone https://github.com/0x4m4/buffer-overflow-lab.git
cd buffer-overflow-lab
docker-compose up --build

See the README for exploit-script instructions and testing scenarios.

Alternatives

• vuln-bank: Vuln Bank teaches broader web, API, GraphQL, and AI security testing, while buffer-overflow-lab focuses on buffer overflow demonstrations.

Considerations

The application deliberately contains vulnerable code and must not be exposed as a production service. The README describes container resource limits and network isolation, but those safeguards do not make deployment outside a controlled educational environment appropriate. The project is inactive, has no recent issue or pull-request activity, and has no tests or CI listed in the available project facts. Review the code and container configuration before using it, especially since the README's clone instructions use a directory name that differs from the repository name.