A buffer overflow is a runtime event.

Here's an example: The developer has only allocated 32 bytes for a buffer. The attacker manages to stuff 64 bytes into it. Those 64 bytes are copied into the storage space allocated for the buffer. The "extra" 32 bytes don't just disappear: they get placed in the memory that follows the buffer.

So whatever was assigned to use the memory area just after the buffer got stomped on. This might be storage for variables, machine code... whatever. What does this do? That depends on how clever the attacker is.

But the key here is that the program in *memory* is being messed with - after it's been verified as trustworthy. So the buffer overflow attack can't be stopped by Palladium.

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