Book Image

Learning Linux Binary Analysis

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

Learning Linux Binary Analysis

5 (1)
By: "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 (11 chapters)
10
Index

Infecting control flow


In the previous section, we examined the methods in which parasite code can be introduced into a binary and then executed by modifying the entry point of the infected program. As far as introducing new code into a binary goes, these methods work excellently; in fact, they are great for binary patching, whether it be for legitimate engineering reasons or for a virus. Modifying the entry point is also quite suitable in many cases, but it is far from stealthy, and in some cases, you may not want your parasite code to execute at entry time. Perhaps your parasite code is a single function that you infected a binary with and you only want this function to be called as a replacement for another function within the binary that it infected; this is called function hijacking. When intending to pursue more intricate infection strategies, we must be aware of all of the possible infection points in an ELF program. This is where things begin to get real interesting. Let's take a...