Books › Hacking
Hacking
First published 2008 · 526 pages
A hands-on, deep-dive into the elegant, hidden mechanics of computer systems and the creative art of breaking them.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like being handed the master keys to a complex, hidden world. It is a deeply cerebral and immersive experience, demanding a steady pace as you roll up your sleeves and dive into the raw mechanics of C programming, memory allocation, and network protocols. The tone is authoritative yet encouraging, treating hacking not as a dark art but as the ultimate form of creative problem-solving. The prose is precise and highly technical, guiding you through dense concepts with clarity and purpose. It delights curious programmers and aspiring security experts who crave a fundamental understanding of how systems work—and how they break. You will emerge from it feeling intellectually empowered, looking at software through an entirely new, analytical lens.
- Mood
- cerebral
- focused
- immersive
- curious
- Tone
- authoritative
- instructional
- pragmatic
- encouraging
- analytical
- Pace
- steady
- Themes
- creative problem solving · demystifying technology · the hacker ethos · under-the-hood exploration · empowerment through knowledge
- The writing
- Clear, precise, and highly technical, breaking down complex concepts into digestible, logical steps without dumbing them down.
- The arc
- Moves from daunting technical complexity to empowering clarity as the reader masters the underlying mechanics of computer systems.
- Who it's for
- Aspiring security professionals, curious programmers, and tech enthusiasts who want to understand exactly how exploits work at the memory and processor level.
About the book
Hacking is the art of creative problem solving, whether that means finding an unconventional solution to a difficult problem or exploiting holes in sloppy programming. Many people call themselves hackers, but few have the strong technical foundation needed to really push the envelope.
Rather than merely showing how to run existing exploits, author Jon Erickson explains how arcane hacking techniques actually work. To share the art and science of hacking in a way that is accessible to everyone, Hacking: The Art of Exploitation, 2nd Edition introduces the fundamentals of C programming from a hacker's perspective.
The included LiveCD provides a complete Linux programming and debugging environment-all without modifying your current operating system. Use it to follow along with the book's examples as you fill gaps in your knowledge and explore hacking techniques on your own. Get your hands dirty debugging code, overflowing buffers, hijacking network communications, bypassing protections, exploiting cryptographic weaknesses, and perhaps even inventing new exploits. This book will teach you how to:
Program computers using C, assembly language, and shell scripts Corrupt system memory to run arbitrary code using buffer overflows and format strings Inspect processor registers and system memory with a debugger to gain a real understanding of what is happening Outsmart common security measures like nonexecutable stacks and intrusion detection systems Gain access to a remote server using port-binding or connect-back shellcode, and alter a server's logging behavior to hide your presence Redirect network traffic, conceal open ports, and hijack TCP connections Crack encrypted wireless traffic using the FMS attack, and speed up brute-force attacks using a password probability matrix Hackers are always pushing the boundaries, investigating the unknown, and evolving their art. Even if you don't already know how to program, Hacking: The Art of Exploitation, 2nd Edition will give you a complete picture of programming, machine architecture, network communications, and existing hacking techniques. Combine this knowledge with the included Linux environment, and all you need is your own creativity.
Description from Open Library.
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