Book Image

Learning Linux Binary Analysis

By : Ryan "elfmaster" O'Neill
Book Image

Learning Linux Binary Analysis

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

Chapter 8. ECFS – Extended Core File Snapshot Technology

Extended Core File Snapshot (ECFS) technology is a piece of software that plugs into the Linux core handler and creates specialized process memory snapshots specifically designed with process memory forensics in mind. Most people have no idea how to parse a process image, let alone how to examine one for anomalies. Even for experts, it can be an arduous task to look at a process image and detect infections or malware.

Before ECFS, there existed no real standard for snapshotting of a process image other than using core files, which can be created on demand using the gcore script that comes with most Linux distributions. As briefly discussed in the previous chapter, regular core files are not particularly useful for process forensics analysis. This is why ECFS core files came into existence—to provide a file format that can describe every nuance of a process image so that it can be efficiently analyzed, easily navigated, and easily integrated...