Lectures

(Note this is a rough schedule and things are subject to change.)

Aug 30, 2021 Security Principles: Introduction, Ethics, and Course Overview (Instructor: Parno) | [Guide]
This lecture will give a high-level overview of the course, including topics covered, learning goals, and course mechanics. We will also discuss ethical challenges associated with computer security.
Optional Reading:
- On Trusting Trust
Sep 1, 2021 Security Principles: Threat Models, Trusted Computing Bases, and Design Principles (Instructor: Parno) | [Guide]
This lecture will present techniques to reason systematically about an attacker's capabilities and a system's security dependencies. We will also introduce some fundamental principles of secure system design that will be recurring themes throughout the course.
Reading:
- Computer Security and the Internet, Ch. 1 (up to and including 1.8)
Optional Reading:
- Threat Modeling, Chapter 1
- Protection of Information (Section I.A, pages 4-6, starting at "3) Design Principles")
Sep 3, 2021 Software Security: Execution Semantics (Instructor: Parno) | [Guide]
Attackers often exploit the conventions of normal program execution. To understand such exploits, we first must understand the normal conventions. This recitaiton will review the material up through Chapter 3 of CS:APP from 15-213. Consider reviewing the course notes linked below as well. We will cover the parts of the compilation tool chain and operations at the assembly level, including control flow, the memory model, and stack frames.
Optional Reading:
- Chapter 3 of Computer Systems A Programmers Perspective Volume 2
- 15-213 Course Schedule (review the "Machine Prog" lectures )
Sep 6, 2021 : No Class
University holiday: Labor day. Enjoy the day off!
Sep 8, 2021 Software Security: Control-Flow Attacks (Instructor: Parno) | [Guide] | [Notes]
In this lecture, we explore control-flow-hijacking attacks that gain control of the instruction pointer. We will review buffer overflows that you should have seen in previous classes, as well as introducing new attacks, such as format-string exploits.
Optional Reading:
- Smashing the Stack for Fun and Profit
- Smashing the Stack in 2011
- Exploiting Format String Vulnerabilities
Sep 10, 2021 Software Security: Recitation: Thinking Up Exploits - Part 1 (Instructor: Parno)
We will practice the skills needed to analyze an unknown binary, identify vulnerabilities, and exploit them.
Sep 13, 2021 Software Security: Deployed Mitigations and Return Oriented Programming Attacks (Instructor: Parno) | [Guide]
We will introduce control-flow hijack defenses found in practice today, including canaries, DEP, and randomization (ASLR). We will also discuss methods for bypassing these defenses. Finally, we review Return Oriented Programming attacks.
Reading:
- Sections 1 and 3.1-3.2.4 of The Geometry of Innocent Flesh on the Bone Return-into-libc without Calls (on the x86)
Optional Reading:
- Return-Oriented Programming Systems, Languages, and Applications
- Q Exploit Hardening Made Easy
- ropasaurusrex a primer on return-oriented
- Design of ASLR in PAX
- ASLR Smack and Laugh Reference
- Effectiveness of ASLR
Sep 15, 2021 Software Security: Defenses: CFI and Type Safety (Instructor: Parno) | [Guide]
This lecture will cover techniques to retrofit memory safety on legacy C code, with a focus on Control Flow Integrity (CFI). CFI is a security property that specifies real executions should follow the static CFG. We will explore CFI, focusing on what "the" CFG is. We will also introduce programming language techniques based on type safety that can eliminate entire classes of bugs.
Reading:
- Sections 1-3 of Control Flow Integrity Principles, Implementations, and Applications
Optional Reading:
- CCured: Type-Safe Retrofitting of Legacy Software (Sections 4-6 are optional)
Sep 17, 2021 Software Security: Recitation: Thinking Up Exploits - Part 2 (Instructor: Parno)
We will continue to practice the skills needed to analyze an unknown binary, identify vulnerabilities, and exploit them.
Sep 20, 2021 Software Security: Type Systems and Verification (Instructor: Parno) | [Guide]
We will cover programming language techniques that provably eliminate entire classes of vulnerabilities and even prove strong properties about software.
Reading:
- Program Proofs (Ch 2 but skip bits on strongest postcondition, Ch 13)
Sep 22, 2021 Software Security: Verification and Dafny (Instructor: Parno) | [Guide]
We will continue to cover principles of verifying software, and we will introduce Dafny, a program verification language (https://github.com/dafny-lang/dafny).
Reading:
- Getting Started with Dafny - A Guide (Skip 6,10,11)
Sep 24, 2021 Software Security: Recitation: Provably Correct Software (Instructor: Parno)
We will practice using the Dafny program verification language (https://github.com/dafny-lang/dafny).
Sep 27, 2021 Software Security: Code Analysis and Isolation Techniques (Instructor: Parno) | [Guide]
This lecture will cover techniques to analyze code for memory vulnerabilities. To mitigate vulnerabilities we cannot or do not find, we will cover various system mechanisms for achieving isolation: sandboxing, Software Fault Isolation (SFI), program partitioning, and airgaps.
Reading:
- Computer Security and the Internet, Ch. 5 (section 5.1)
Optional Reading:
- A Few Billion Lines Of Code Later: Using Static Analysis To Find Bugs In The Real World
- Software Fault Isolation
- Native Client
Sep 29, 2021 Crypto: Introduction to Cryptography (Instructor: Parno) | [Guide] | [Notes]
In this lecture we will provide a high-level introduction to cryptography, including an overview of primitives and security models. We will touch on the rich power offered by modern cryptographic tools. Finally, we will discuss (in)secure sources of randomness.
Reading:
- A Graduate Course in Applied Cryptography (Ch. 2.1, 2.2, and 3.10)
Optional Reading:
- Coursera Course on Cryptography
- Handbook of Applied Cryptography Chapter 1
Oct 1, 2021 Review: Software & Systems Security (Instructor: Parno)
This slot will be a review period. We will provide approximately a 30 minute review, and then will open up the floor for questions. Please think ahead of time what would be good questions; we are happy to answer anything. If there are no questions, it will be a short meeting.
Oct 4, 2021 Crypto: (Pseudo)Randomness (Instructor: Parno) | [Guide] | [Notes]
We will cover the principles of pseudorandom functions, permutations, and introduce the notion of adversarial games to prove security properties of cryptographic constructions.
Reading:
- A Graduate Course in Applied Cryptography (Ch. 4.4.1)
Oct 6, 2021 Exam: Security Principles and Software Security (Instructor: Parno)
We will have the first exam of the course. It will cover all information covered to date up to but not including cryptography. This will be a closed book, closed notes, closed neighbor exam.
Oct 8, 2021 Crypto: Recitation: Proofs by Reduction (Instructor: Parno)
We will discuss strategies for deciding if something is secure/insecure and for how to write a proof of security. Students will work in teams on practice problems.
Oct 11, 2021 Crypto: Secrecy and Symmetric Key Ciphers (Instructor: Parno) | [Guide] | [Notes]
We will cover definitions of computations secrecy and block ciphers.
Reading:
- A Graduate Course in Applied Cryptography (Ch. 2.3.1, 2.3.5 (skipping Theorem 2.10 and 2.3.5.1), Definitions and examples of negligible functions in 2.4.1)
Oct 13, 2021 Crypto: Cipher Modes and Hashes (Instructor: Parno) | [Guide]
We will cover block cipher modes and cryptographic hash functions.
Reading:
- A Graduate Course in Applied Cryptography (Ch. 4.4.4.1, 5.1, 5.3, 5.5 up to but not including Attack Game 5.3 on page 199, 8.1 (except 8.1.1), 8.3)
Oct 15, 2021 Crypto: Integrity and MACs (Instructor: Parno) | [Guide] | [Notes]
This lecture will look at the property of integrity and how to achieve it using a Message Authentication Code (MAC). We will also cover basics of authenticated encryption, which is a commonly used operation.
Reading:
- A Graduate Course in Applied Cryptography (Ch. 6.1 (except 6.1.1),6.3, Intro to Ch.9 and 9.1(skipping 9.1.1.), 9.4.3)
Optional Reading:
- Message Authentication using Hash Functions: The HMAC Construction
- The Order of Encryption and Authentication for Protecting Communications (Or: How Secure is SSL?)
Oct 18, 2021 Crypto: Public Key Cryptography (Instructor: Parno) | [Guide] | [Notes]
In this lecture we will cover the fundamentals of public key cryptography, focusing on RSA and Diffie-Hellman as examples.
Reading:
- A Graduate Course in Applied Cryptography (Ch. 10.1-10.5 (skip subsections on "Mathematical details" and 10.5.1), 11.1, 11.2 (skip 11.2.1), 13 intro and 13.1 (except 13.1.2))
Optional Reading:
- Remote Timing Attacks are Practical
Oct 20, 2021 Crypto: Blockchains and Cryptocurrencies (Instructor: Parno) | [Guide]
We will cover the basics of blockchains (what they are, what they are and are not good for), cryptocurrencies and, time permitting, smart contracts
Reading:
- Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency Technologies (Pages 3-21)
Optional Reading:
- Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency Technologies (Chapters 1-2)
Oct 22, 2021 Crypto: Recitation: Cryptocurrencies (Instructor: Parno)
We will spend some virtual cash and write some smart contracts
Oct 25, 2021 Systems Security: Trusted Computing (Instructor: Parno) | [Guide]
This lecture will cover techniques for bootstrapping trust in systems.
Reading:
- Sections 2,3,and 4.2.2 of Bootstrapping Trust in Commodity Computers
Oct 27, 2021 Systems Security: Authorization and Access Control (Instructor: Parno) | [Guide]
This lecture will introduce the three "AU"’s; authentication, authorization, and audit. We will cover topics including classic and modern approaches to access control.
Reading:
- Computer Security and the Internet, Ch. 5 (sections 5.2,5.7)
- A Graduate Course in Applied Cryptography (Ch. 13.8)
Optional Reading:
- Protection of Information (Sections I.B and II)
- Computer Security in the Real World
Oct 29, 2021 Review: Crypto (Instructor: Parno)
This will be a review session for all lectures on cryptography. Please think ahead of time what questions you may have.
Nov 1, 2021 Network Security: Introduction to Network Security (Instructor: Parno) | [Guide]
This lecture will give a broad overview of network security, including general principles, denial-of-service attacks, and intrusion detection (and prevention) systems. The latter will cover some basic detection theory, focusing on the base rate fallacy.
Reading:
- Computer Security and the Internet, Ch. 10 (section 10.1) (10.6 is optional but possibly useful)
- Computer Security and the Internet, Ch. 11 (sections 11.1-11.2, 11.4)
Optional Reading:
- The Base Rate Fallacy and its implications for the difficulty of intrusion detection
- Security Problems in the TCP/IP Suite
- A Look Back Security Problems in the TCP/IP Suite
Nov 3, 2021 Exam: Crypto (Instructor: Parno)
We will have the second exam of the course. It will cover all information covered to date, but it will focus on Crypto. This will be a closed book, closed note, closed neighbor exam.
Nov 5, 2021 : No Recitation
Community Engagement Day
Nov 8, 2021 Network Security: Protocol Design and Analysis (Instructor: Parno) | [Guide]
This lecture will cover design principles for secure protocols, common failures and defenses, and tools for analyzing protocol security. TLS will be used as a detailed case study.
Reading:
- Prudent Engineering Practice for Cryptographic Protocols
Optional Reading:
- A Comprehensive Symbolic Analysis of TLS 1.3
Nov 10, 2021 Web Security: Attacks (Instructor: Parno) | [Guide]
This lecture will cover web security, including vulnerabilities such as injection attacks, XSS, and CSRF.
Reading:
- Computer Security and the Internet, Ch. 9 (Portions on HTTP proxies, as well as 9.8 onwards, are optional)
Optional Reading:
- Cross Site Scripting Explained
- Robust Defenses for Cross-Site Request Forgery
Nov 12, 2021 Web Security: Recitation: Web Hacking (Instructor: Parno)
Nov 15, 2021 Web Security: Defenses (Instructor: Parno) | [Guide]
This lecture will cover web security with a focus on principles, such as authentication vs. authorization, and best practices for establishing security on the web.
Optional Reading:
- Native Client: A Sandbox for Portable, Untrusted x86 Native Code
- Beware of Finer-Grained Origins
Nov 17, 2021 Human Factors: Making Security Usable (Instructor: Parno) | [Guide]
The most secure system in the world can be subverted if users can't employ it correctly (or if they themselves are subverted!). This lecture will cover usable design, with case studies drawn from security warnings, authentication, and phishing. We will also cover attacks and defenses based on social engineering.
Reading:
- Pages 1-14 of "Why Johnny Can’t Encrypt A Usability Evaluation of PGP 5.0"
Optional Reading:
- A Framework for Reasoning About the Human in the Loop
- Crying Wolf: An Empirical Study of SSL Warning Effectiveness
- The Quest to Replace Passwords: A Framework for Comparative Evaluation of Web Authentication Schemes
Nov 19, 2021 Research: Recitation: State-of-the-Art Security Research (Instructor: Parno)
Nov 22, 2021 Human Factors: Privacy (Instructor: Parno) | [Guide]
This lecture will cover general concepts and various mathematical definitions of privacy as well as how to achive them.
Reading:
- Pages 1-7 of A Firm Foundation for Private Data Analysis
Optional Reading:
- Engineering Privacy
Nov 24, 2021 : No Class
Thanksgiving! Enjoy the break!
Nov 26, 2021 : No Recitation
Thanksgiving! Enjoy the break!
Nov 29, 2021 Human Factors: Law and Public Policy (Instructor: Parno) | [Guide]
This lecture will cover legal frameworks and policies that govern security and privacy in practice.
Reading:
- Executive Summary and Section 1 of Keys Under Doormats: Mandating Insecurity by Requiring Government Access to All Data and Communications
Dec 1, 2021 Human Factors: Economics (Instructor: Parno) | [Guide]
Many attackers are economically rational. Can we leverage this observation when designing our defenses? Many users are economically rational. What impact does that have on how we design our defenses?
Reading:
- Sections 1-4 and 7 of So Long, And No Thanks for the Externalities: The Rational Rejection of Security Advice by Users
Optional Reading:
- Why do Nigerian Scammers Say They are from Nigeria?
- Spamalytics: An Empirical Analysis of Spam Marketing Conversion
- The Economics of Spam
Dec 3, 2021 Review: Systems (OS, Web, Network), and Human Factors (Instructor: Parno)
We will have about a 30 minute review of all material in the third part of this class. The rest of the time will be devoted to questions and answers, so make sure you bring good questions.
Dec 9, 2021 Exam: Final Exam (Instructor: Parno)
This will be our third and final exam. The exact date will be determined by the registrar. Like previous exams it will be closed book, closed note, closed neighbor. The exam will focus on the last third of the course, but any material over the entire semester is game.