0x400 NETWORKING
Communication and language have greatly enhanced
the abilities of the human race. By using a common
language, humans are able to transfer knowledge,
coordinate actions, and share experiences. Similarly,
programs can become much more powerful when they have the ability to
communicate with other programs via a network. The real utility of a web
browser isn’t in the program itself, but in its ability to communicate with
webservers.
Networking is so prevalent that it is sometimes taken for granted. Many
applications such as email, the Web, and instant messaging rely on network-
ing. Each of these applications relies on a particular network protocol, but
each protocol uses the same general network transport methods.
Many people don’t realize that there are vulnerabilities in the networking
protocols themselves. In this chapter you will learn how to network your appli-
cations using sockets and how to deal with common network vulnerabilities.