Binary Exploitation / Pwning

What is it?

In Binary Exploitation or Pwning challenges, you will often be dealing with Linux ELF files (executables), and your goal will be to make the program act differently than intended. You will have to exploit the program in some way, typically with buffer overflows.

There a few different exploits you can pull off with buffer overflows:

• Changing variable values
• Shellcode injection
• Return oriented programming
• Return to libc attacks

Other topics:

• Format string attacks
• Heap attacks

Tools

• Pwntools - Python library for scripting attacks
• Radare2 - Disassembler and debugger
• gdb - Debugger
• angr - Binary analysis framework
• Other command line tools

Sites

• Pwnable.tw - Pwning Problems
• Pwnable.kr - Pwning Problems
• OverTheWire/Narnia - Pwning Problems