A reserved segment of memory used to hold data while it is being processed. In a program, buffers are created to hold some amount of data from each of the files that will be read or written. In a streaming media application, the program uses buffers to store an advance supply of audio or video data to compensate for momentary delays.
With regular computer applications, buffers are allocated and deallocated from the general memory pool. In printers and other hardware devices, buffers can be small memory banks used for just one temporary storage function. See buffering, double buffering, buffer overflow, buffer flush and bucket.
With regular computer applications, buffers are allocated and deallocated from the general memory pool. In printers and other hardware devices, buffers can be small memory banks used for just one temporary storage function. See buffering, double buffering, buffer overflow, buffer flush and bucket.
 | Reproduced with permission from Computer Desktop Encyclopedia. Copyright (c) 1981-2008 The Computer Language Company Inc. All rights reserved. |
Additional Resources
- uTorrent silently patches critical vulnerability
- If uTorrent is the client you use to download files, now might be a good time to hit that "check for updates" button. According to security alerts aggregator Secunia, there's a "highly critical" uTorrent vulnerability that could allow remote code execution attacks with rigged .torrent files. ...
- Blog posts 2008-08-18
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- Discussion threads 2008-08-11
- Windows broken ... I'm surprised it took this long
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- Discussion threads 2008-08-09
- The Cablevision decision, part 1: Buffering is not copying
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- Discussion threads 2008-08-07
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- Blog posts 2008-08-06
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- Blog posts 2008-08-05
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- Blog posts 2008-07-31
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- Software downloads 2008-07-31
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- Blog posts 2008-07-29
- Oracle ships emergency workaround for zero-day flaw
- For the first time since the introduction of its quarterly Critical Patch Update process in 2005, Oracle has released an emergency alert to offer mitigation for a zero-day vulnerability that's been published on the Internet. The emergency workaround, available here, addresses an unpatched vulnerability that's remotely exploitable...
- Blog posts 2008-07-28
- Gaping holes in RealPlayer patched
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- Blog posts 2008-07-25
- Heap-based buffer overflow reported in RealNetworks RealPlayer
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- Discussion threads 2008-07-25
- Heap-based buffer overflow reported in RealNetworks RealPlayer
- Update 07/25/2008: Aaron Portnoy of TippingPoint's security research group was kind enough to point out that I'm actually not affected by this, since I've installed the newest version of RealPlayer. From Aaron's email: Notice the Secunia advisory states it affects RealPlayer 10.5... the latest is 11.x, which now uses...
- Blog posts 2008-07-25
- ZZEE Text Utility (exe)
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- Software downloads 2008-07-14
- Apple ships (long overdue) iPhone security patches
- Finally, after months of waiting, iPhone users finally get security fixes for a batch of known software vulnerabilities. The latest iPhone 2.0 and iPod Touch 2.0 update patches at least 13 documented vulnerabilities, including several code execution holes in the Safari mobile Web browser. The...
- Blog posts 2008-07-11
- Apple releases patches for dangerous QuickTime flaws in Apple TV 2.1 product
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- Blog posts 2008-07-11
- Sun releases JRE Version 6 Update 7, 90% of desktops currently at risk*
- * The 90% of desktops currently at risk comes from numbers presented at the Java One Keynote in 2008. If you aren't patched, get the Java control panel up and get updated, or go to Sun's site to download the update, cause this one's big. Yesterday Sun...
- Blog posts 2008-07-11
- Security is hard, accept it
- * Ryan Naraine is on vacation. Guest editorial by Dr Jose Nazario The past 10 or 15 years have been about the same things, largely, over and over again: input problems into single system applications or kernels. Buffer overflows (splitvt! NCSA...
- Blog posts 2008-07-10
- Microsoft addresses 9 security vulnerabilities with 4 "Important" bulletins
- Microsoft announced 4 "Important" security bulletins today that cover 9 separate vulnerabilities. Of note were vulnerabilities reported in Windows DNS server and client, and within SQL Server. Briefly, the vulnerabilities involve: Cache poisoning and insufficient socket entropy flaws in Microsoft DNS Server A remote...
- Blog posts 2008-07-08
- Notebook SSDs REDUCE battery life at 50x the cost
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- Blog posts 2008-07-02
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