Cybersecurity Notes
MathematicsCryptography
  • Cybersecurity Notes
  • Binary Exploitation
    • Stack
      • Introduction
      • ret2win
      • De Bruijn Sequences
      • Shellcode
      • NOPs
      • 32- vs 64-bit
      • No eXecute
      • Return-Oriented Programming
        • Calling Conventions
        • Gadgets
        • Exploiting Calling Conventions
        • ret2libc
        • Stack Alignment
      • Format String Bug
      • Stack Canaries
      • PIE
        • Pwntools, PIE and ROP
        • PIE Bypass with Given Leak
        • PIE Bypass
      • ASLR
        • ASLR Bypass with Given Leak
        • PLT and GOT
        • ret2plt ASLR bypass
      • GOT Overwrite
        • Exploiting a GOT overwrite
      • RELRO
      • Reliable Shellcode
        • ROP and Shellcode
        • Using RSP
        • ret2reg
          • Using ret2reg
      • One Gadgets and Malloc Hook
      • Syscalls
        • Exploitation with Syscalls
        • Sigreturn-Oriented Programming (SROP)
          • Using SROP
      • ret2dlresolve
        • Exploitation
      • ret2csu
        • Exploitation
        • CSU Hardening
      • Exploiting over Sockets
        • Exploit
        • Socat
      • Forking Processes
      • Stack Pivoting
        • Exploitation
          • pop rsp
          • leave
    • Heap
      • Introduction to the Heap
      • Chunks
      • Freeing Chunks and the Bins
        • Operations of the Fastbin
        • Operations of the Other Bins
      • Malloc State
      • malloc_consolidate()
      • Heap Overflow
        • heap0
        • heap1
      • Use-After-Free
      • Double-Free
        • Double-Free Protections
        • Double-Free Exploit
      • Unlink Exploit
      • The Tcache
        • Tcache: calloc()
        • Tcache Poisoning
      • Tcache Keys
      • Safe Linking
    • Kernel
      • Introduction
      • Writing a Char Module
        • An Interactive Char Driver
        • Interactivity with IOCTL
      • A Basic Kernel Interaction Challenge
      • Compiling, Customising and booting the Kernel
      • Double-Fetch
        • Double-Fetch without Sleep
      • The Ultimate Aim of Kernel Exploitation - Process Credentials
      • Kernel ROP - ret2usr
      • Debugging a Kernel Module
      • SMEP
        • Kernel ROP - Disabling SMEP
        • Kernel ROP - Privilege Escalation in Kernel Space
      • SMAP
      • modprobe_path
      • KASLR
      • KPTI
    • Browser Exploitation
      • *CTF 2019 - oob-v8
        • The Challenge
      • picoCTF 2021 - Kit Engine
      • picoCTF 2021 - Download Horsepower
  • Reverse Engineering
    • Strings in C++
    • C++ Decompilation Tricks
    • Reverse Engineering ARM
  • Blockchain
    • An Introduction to Blockchain
  • Smart Contracts and Solidity
  • Hosting a Testnet and Deploying a Contract
  • Interacting with Python
  • Writeups
    • Hack The Box
      • Linux Machines
        • Easy
          • Traceback
        • Medium
          • Magic
          • UpDown
        • Hard
          • Intense
      • Challenges
        • Web
          • Looking Glass
          • Sanitize
          • Baby Auth
          • Baby Website Rick
        • Pwn
          • Dream Diary: Chapter 1
            • Unlink Exploit
            • Chunk Overlap
          • Ropme
    • picoGym
      • Cryptography
        • Mod 26
        • Mind Your Ps and Qs
        • Easy Peasy
        • The Numbers
        • New Caesar
        • Mini RSA
        • Dachshund Attacks
        • No Padding, No Problem
        • Easy1
        • 13
        • Caesar
        • Pixelated
        • Basic-Mod1
        • Basic-Mod2
        • Credstuff
        • morse-code
        • rail-fence
        • Substitution0
        • Substitution1
        • Substitution2
        • Transposition-Trial
        • Vigenere
        • HideToSee
    • CTFs
      • Fword CTF 2020
        • Binary Exploitation
          • Molotov
        • Reversing
          • XO
      • X-MAS CTF 2020
        • Pwn
          • Do I Know You?
          • Naughty
        • Web
          • PHP Master
      • HTB CyberSanta 2021
        • Crypto
          • Common Mistake
          • Missing Reindeer
          • Xmas Spirit
          • Meet Me Halfway
  • Miscellaneous
    • pwntools
      • Introduction
      • Processes and Communication
      • Logging and Context
      • Packing
      • ELF
      • ROP
    • scanf Bypasses
    • Challenges in Containers
    • Using Z3
    • Cross-Compiling for arm32
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  1. Binary Exploitation
  2. Kernel

Introduction

Last updated 1 year ago

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The kernel is the program at the heart of the Operating System. It is responsible for controlling every aspect of the computer, from the nature of syscalls to the integration between software and hardware. As such, exploiting the kernel can lead to some incredibly dangerous bugs.

In the context of CTFs, Linux kernel exploitation often involves the exploitation of kernel modules. This is an integral feature of Linux that allows users to extend the kernel with their own code, adding additional features.

You can find an excellent introduction to Kernel Drivers and Modules by LiveOverflow , and I recommend it highly.

Kernel Modules

Kernel Modules are written in C and compiled to a .ko (Kernel Object) format. Most kernel modules are compiled for a specific version kernel version (which can be checked with uname -r, my Xenial Xerus is 4.15.0-128-generic). We can load and unload these modules using the insmod and rmmod commands respectively. Kernel modules are often loaded into /dev/* or /proc/. There are 3 main module types: Char, Block and Network.

Char Modules

Char Modules are deceptively simple. Essentially, you can access them as a stream of bytes - just like a file - using syscalls such as open. In this way, they're virtually almost dynamic files (at a super basic level), as the values read and written can be changed.

Examples of Char modules include /dev/random.

I'll be using the term module and device interchangeably. As far as I can tell, they are the same, but please let me know if I'm wrong!

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