Abstract: Most current surveys on code reuse attack conclude the status quo and trends from the perspective of one or several attack or defense technologies, lacking analysis of key features related to the attack or defense affects. To solve the above problems, the key characteristics that affect the results of classic code reuse attack were summarized, starting from the life cycle of the classic code reuse attack, i.e., return-oriented programing (ROP) attack. Based on the technology developing timeline and these characteristics, security and performance factors were comprehensively measured, and development rules and trends of code reuse attack and defense confrontation technologies were analyzed and summarized.