buffer overflow

This term is a technical specification used primarily in computer science and cybersecurity. It describes a specific type of software vulnerability where the boundaries of a memory buffer are exceeded, often leading to system crashes or the execution of malicious code. It carries a strong connotation of instability and security risk.

In professional contexts, it is frequently paired with terms like "exploit" or "vulnerability." While it describes a physical process of memory overwriting, it is almost always discussed as a logical flaw in a program's memory management, particularly in languages like C or C++ that do not have built-in bounds checking.