Book Image

Learning Linux Binary Analysis

By : Ryan "elfmaster" O'Neill
5 (1)
Book Image

Learning Linux Binary Analysis

5 (1)
By: Ryan "elfmaster" O'Neill

Overview of this book

Learning Linux Binary Analysis is packed with knowledge and code that will teach you the inner workings of the ELF format, and the methods used by hackers and security analysts for virus analysis, binary patching, software protection and more. This book will start by taking you through UNIX/Linux object utilities, and will move on to teaching you all about the ELF specimen. You will learn about process tracing, and will explore the different types of Linux and UNIX viruses, and how you can make use of ELF Virus Technology to deal with them. The latter half of the book discusses the usage of Kprobe instrumentation for kernel hacking, code patching, and debugging. You will discover how to detect and disinfect kernel-mode rootkits, and move on to analyze static code. Finally, you will be walked through complex userspace memory infection analysis. This book will lead you into territory that is uncharted even by some experts; right into the world of the computer hacker.
Table of Contents (17 chapters)
Learning Linux Binary Analysis
Credits
About the Author
Acknowledgments
About the Reviewers
www.PacktPub.com
Preface
Index

ptrace and forensic analysis


The ptrace() command is the system call that is most commonly used for memory analysis of a userland. In fact, if you are designing forensics software that runs in userland, the only way it can access other processes memory is through the ptrace system call, or by reading the proc filesystem (unless, of course, the program has some type of explicit shared memory IPC setup).

Note

One may attach to a process and then open/lseek/read/write /proc/<pid>/mem as an alternative to ptrace read/write semantics.

In 2011, I was awarded a contract by the DARPA CFT (Cyber Fast Track) program to design something called Linux VMA Monitor. The purpose of this software is to detect a wide range of known and unknown process memory infections, such as rootkits and memory-resident viruses.

It essentially performs automated intelligent memory forensic analysis on every single process address space using special heuristics that understands ELF execution. It can spot anomalies or...