buffer overflow

Question

How can a buffer overflow effect the OSI model?

How many layers of the OSI model can be affected by an buffer overflow vulnerability.

Answer 1

Any software may be vulnerable to buffer overflows, which means that the only truly immune layer is the Physical layer.

Answer 2

Basically every layer but layer 1 can potentially be vulnerable to buffer overflow, since they all require software (embedded or not). Even layer 1 can involve software and thus be vulnerable.

The question is largely academic since the OSI Model is largely academic. For example, Ethernet implements layers 1 and 2 and TCP/IP uses a completely different model.

Answer 3

The OSI model is not related to buffer overflows in any way. The former describes an abstract model how you should implement a network stack and which function goes into which layer, the latter is a form of vulnerability for real, existing software (as opposed to an abstract model).

If you're talking about an implementation, then probably all layers but the first one can be vulnerable (layer 1 defines the connectors, cabling, etc., i.e. the hardware outside the stack).