Can Arbitrary Code Execution Happen in Any Program?

ACE is often more about the underlying operating system than just the program. If the OS allows certain risky actions—like direct memory access—then it creates a window for potential ACE. Modern systems have robust protections against this, unlike older consoles where such vulnerabilities were more common due to less stringent checks on memory.

As a student, I’d say that for ACE to happen, a program needs some form of vulnerability, like a bug or an edge case. It's often the case that older games had more gaps due to less sophisticated development tools and the need to maximize limited resources. Nowadays, many modern games have more robust protections, reducing those fun glitches!

In theory, yes! Almost any program could potentially have vulnerabilities that might be exploited for arbitrary code execution. The catch is that not all programs are currently known to have such weaknesses, and some might be designed without them to protect against this kind of exploitation.

It really depends on the program's design. For instance, a program that ignores user input wouldn't have a way to trigger ACE since it doesn't process commands. So, in that specific case, it wouldn't matter how complex it is—no input means no execution.

You raise a good point about complexity! The term 'sufficiently complex' can lead to some confusing definitions. It might seem that anything lacking ACE vulnerabilities could be labeled as insufficiently complex, which makes the question tricky. So, it's essential to clarify what that complexity entails!