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Computer Memory Organization

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TO SEE HOW MORRIS' WORM EXPLOITED "FINGER" YOU HAVE TO LEARN A BIT ABOUT COMPUTER MEMORY.

  • THE ELECTRONIC DEVICES THAT FORM A COMPUTER'S MEMORY CAN ONLY STORE SEQUENCES OF 0's AND 1's (SURPRISED?).

  • THE CIRCUITS NEEDED TO STORE EIGHT BINARY DIGITS ARE GROUPED TOGETHER IN UNITS CALLED BYTES.

  • EACH BYTE IS IDENTIFIED BY A SEQUENCE NUMBER GIVING ITS POSITION WITHIN THE MEMORY. THIS NUMBER IS CALLED A MEMORY ADDRESS.
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Williams College
Department of Computer Science
This page is part of a section of lecture slides related to " The Internet Worm " within the topic "Computer Security: A Case Study?". Other slides within this section and other sections of slides for the topic "Computer Security: A Case Study?" can be accessed using the links below.
  • Paranoia Raising
  • Some Sample Security Problems
  • The Internet Worm
  • The Internet Worm
  • What was "The Worm"?
  • Finding Machine Names
  • How the Worm Broke in
  • Password Guessing
  • The SENDMAIL "Trap Door"
  • The Finger Server Bug
  • Computer Memory Organization
  • Computer Memory and Program Variables
  • Memory Overflow
  • The Finger Bug
  • It Couldn't Happen Again! Could it?