By default, installing SP2 automatically enables
Data Execution Prevention (DEP). Turning on
the No eXecute (NX) switch for your CPU will prevent
any code from executing in protected memory areas.
This means the buffer overrun will still occur, but any
malware code will be pushed into a memory area where
it can't do any damage.
DEP software alone helps protect against certain types
of malicious code attacks but to take full advantage of
the protection that DEP can offer, your processor must
support "execution protection". This is a hardware-based
technology designed to mark memory locations as non-executable.
A detailed description of the Data Execution Prevention (DEP)
feature in Windows XP Service Pack 2
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;875352
--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP - Shell/User
Microsoft Newsgroups
Be Smart! Protect Your PC!
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/protect/default.mspx
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:
| I've just recently switched from a 32bit CPU to a 64bit one on the same
| install of Windows XP Pro SP2.
|
| My question is to take full advantage of the NX switch on my CPU that is
| activated in SP2, will I have to do anything to enable this now or will it
| just simply be enabled by default by windows?
|
| ::CORY::
