The type of memory vulnerability attack that manipulates the "return address" of the memory location of a software program is known as a "Return-Oriented Programming" (ROP) attack.
Explanation
- ROP is an advanced exploitation technique that manipulates the call stack by overwriting the return address, which is typically stored in the stack to return control to the calling function.
- In a buffer overflow scenario, an attacker writes more data into a buffer than it can hold, overflowing into the area where the return address is stored.
- By changing the return address, the attacker diverts program control flow to malicious instructions.
- Modern defenses like marking memory as non-executable have pushed attackers to use the ROP technique, where instead of injecting new code, they manipulate existing executable code sequences ("gadgets") by chaining them through altered return addresses, effectively bypassing executable-space protections.
Thus, the attack that specifically targets and manipulates the return address in a software program's memory is identified as a Return-Oriented Programming attack, originally evolving from stack smashing or buffer overflow attacks.
