This page lists the Learning Outcomes for this course. The focus here is on quizzes, but you’ll have a chance to practice these skills in class and on assignments as well.

The following is the not-yet-complete list of Quiz Learning Outcomes, divided by unit.

Unit 1: Bits and Bytes

Number representations

• NR 1: binary

  • Proficiency: convert from unsigned binary to decimal
  • Mastery: convert from unsigned binary to hexadecimal

• NR 2: hexadecimal

  • Proficiency: convert from hexadecimal to binary and decimal
  • Mastery: add/subtract two hexadecimal numbers

• NR 3: 2’s complement

  • Proficiency: negate a binary value
  • Mastery: convert from decimal to 2’s complement

Data representations

• DR 1: struct layout

  • Proficiency: understand how a struct is stored in memory (with arrays, no buffer bytes)
  • Mastery: understand how a struct is stored in memory (with buffer bytes and/or unions)

• DR 2: array layout

  • Proficiency: understand how elements of an array are stored in memory
  • Mastery: understand how complex elements (e.g., structs with nested array(s)) of an array are stored in memory

• DR 3: UTF-8 encoding (with table provided)

  • Proficiency: encode a codepoint (given byte count)
  • Mastery: encode a codepoint (determine appropriate byte count)

• DR 4: UTF-8 decoding (with table provided)

  • Proficiency: decode an encoded byte sequence (<= 2 bytes)
  • Mastery: decode a multi-character encoded byte sequence (any byte count)

• DR 5: char array interpretation

  • Proficiency: understand how bytes are interpreted with %c and %d
  • Mastery: understand how bytes are interpreted with %c, %d, %x, %s, and %p

• DR 6: integer byte ordering

  • Proficiency: understand how an integer is stored in big- and little-endian
  • Mastery: understand how an array of integers are stored in big- and little-endian

• DR 7: C strings

  • Proficiency: understand the use of \0 to null-terminate a string
  • Mastery: understand the difference and risks between strcpy and strncpy

• DR 8: pointers

  • Prociency: understand the difference between a value and its address
  • Mastery: understand how pointers are stored in memory

Operators

• OP 1: bitwise and logical

  • Proficiency: perform a given bitwise/logical operation
  • Mastery: provide bitwise/logical operation(s) for a given affect (e.g., via masking)

• OP 2: shift

  • Proficiency: perform a given logical shift operation
  • Mastery: perform a given arithmetic shift operation

• OP 3: resizing

  • Proficiency: resize an integer value to a smaller size
  • Mastery: resize an integer value to a larger size (signed or unsigned)

• OP 4: overflow

  • Proficiency: identify when overflow occurs in addition
  • Mastery: identify when overflow occurs in addition/subtraction and perform computation

• OP 5: addressing and dereferencing

  • Proficiency: identify incorrect use of & and * operators
  • Mastery: correctly use & and * operators

• OP 6: pointer arithmetic

  • Proficiency: work with addresses of members of a struct or elements in a char array
  • Mastery: work with addresses of complex elements (or their parts) of an array

Unit 2: Instruction Set Architecture / Security

Assembly instructions

• AI 1: addressing modes

  • Proficiency: interpret operands with constants, registers, and basic memory lookups
  • Mastery: interpret operands with offsets, indexing, and scaling

• AI 2: move instructions

  • Proficiency: determine type/operands of mov instructions
  • Mastery: interpret mov instructions

• AI 3: arithmetic instructions

  • Proficiency: interpret arithmetic instruction
  • Mastery: interpret arithmetic instruction with condition codes

• AI 4: pointer arithmetic

  • Proficiency: interpret instructions using pointer arithmetic
  • Mastery: provide instruction(s) given array/struct statement(s)

• AI 5: jump instructions

  • Proficiency: determine outcome of cmp jump sequence
  • Mastery: determine outcome of test jump sequence

• AI 6: stack

  • Proficiency: identify locations on the stack with offsets
  • Mastery: draw stack given push/pop/add/sub instruction(s)

Assembly code

• AC 1: control patterns

  • Proficiency: distinguish recursion/looping/branching
  • Mastery: distinguish type of loop/branching

• AC 2: functionality

  • Proficiency: identify parameter count/types and return type
  • Mastery: describe functionality

• AC 3: reverse engineering

  • Proficiency: reconstruct part of C program from assembly
  • Mastery: reconstruct all of C program from assembly

Security

• SEC 1: trusting trust

  • Proficiency: provide high-level explanation of trusting-trust attack
  • Mastery: provide deep explanation of trusting-trust attack or defense

• SEC 2: buffer overflows

  • Proficiency: provide high-level explanation of buffer-overflow attack and defense
  • Mastery: interpret or provide string input to cause a buffer-overflow attack

Unit 3: Networking

• NW 1: DNS
  • Proficiency: provide high-level explanation of DNS
  • Mastery: provide deep explanation of DNS or an attack against it

Unit 4: Operating Systems

• OS 1: file systems

  • Proficiency: provide relative path for given file system structure
  • Mastery: provide Unix command(s) with redirection and/or piping

• OS 2: fork

  • Proficiency: interpret programs with one fork call
  • Mastery: interpret programs with multiple fork calls

Unit 5: Memory Hierarchies

• MH 1: addresses

  • Proficiency: interpret cache parameters
  • Mastery: interpret address(es)

• MH 2: cache impact

  • Proficiency: provide high-level explanation of cache benefits
  • Mastery: explanation performance implications of loop ordering