From FAR and NEAR: Exploiting Overflows on Windows 3.x

In a way, Windows 3.x provided Data Execution Prevention and a crude form of Address Space Layout Randomization—security measures far beyond the expectations of any early-1990s enterprise. The segmented memory model that made 16-bit x86 code difficult to program also complicates building an exploit. This paper demonstrates what may be the first public writeup of a buffer overflow exploit targeting a Windows 3.x application, complete with ROP chain and shellcode.