Exploitation can lead to data exposure, program crashes, and unauthorised code execution.
Warnings have been issued about attackers’ more common use of buffer overflow vulnerabilities to compromise software.
In a statement issued by the FBI and CISA, as part of a series aimed at eliminating entire classes of vulnerabilities during the design and development phases of the product lifecycle, the agencies describe buffer overflow vulnerabilities are a prevalent type of defect in memory-safe software design that can lead to system compromise.
The agencies said these flaws can lead to data corruption, sensitive data exposure, program crashes, and unauthorised code execution. Threat actors frequently exploit these vulnerabilities to gain initial access to an organization’s network and then move laterally to the wider network.
Commenting, Saeed Abbasi, manager vulnerability research at Qualys Threat Research Unit, said the world has zero tolerance for memory-unsafe code in 2025, and letting attackers exploit decades-old buffer overflows is worse than rewriting old systems.
“The question isn’t whether it’s possible to eradicate these vulnerabilities—plenty of forward-thinking teams already have: the real challenge is collective will: leadership must demand memory-safe transitions, and software buyers must hold vendors accountable,” he said. “Buffer overflows aren’t an inevitability; they’re a failure of priorities. It’s time to replace legacy inertia with decisive action.”
Written by
Dan Raywood
Senior Editor
SC Media UK
Dan Raywood is a B2B journalist with more than 20 years of experience, including covering cybersecurity for the past 16 years. He has extensively covered topics from Advanced Persistent Threats and nation-state hackers to major data breaches and regulatory changes.
He has spoken at events including 44CON, Infosecurity Europe, RANT Conference, BSides Scotland, Steelcon and ESET Security Days.
Outside work, Dan enjoys supporting Tottenham Hotspur, managing mischievous cats, and sampling craft beers.
