What can be used to protect systems from buffer overflow errors?

Data Execution Prevention (DEP) is an effective security feature designed to protect systems from buffer overflow errors. Buffer overflow occurs when a program writes more data to a buffer than it was allocated, potentially allowing an attacker to execute arbitrary code or take control of the system. DEP helps mitigate this risk by marking certain areas of memory as non-executable, meaning that code placed in those areas cannot be run. This prevents malicious code from executing, even if an attacker successfully exploits a buffer overflow vulnerability.

Using DEP enables the operating system to distinguish between areas of memory that should contain executable code and those that should not, thereby enhancing the stability and security of applications. When DEP is enabled, it can effectively block attacks that attempt to execute code in data-only memory regions, making it a critical defense mechanism against buffer overflow exploits.