Once I was asked: is it possible to write a reverse shell some 200 bytes in size? This shell should perform the following functions: change its name and PID on a regular basis, make you coffee, and hack the Pentagon… Too bad, this is most likely impossible. But the task seemed interesting and challenging to me. Let’s see whether it can be implemented.

Theory is nothing without practice. Today, I will explain the nature of Linux kernel vulnerabilities and will shown how to exploit them. Get ready for an exciting journey: you will create your own Linux kernel module and use it to escalate your privileges to superuser. Then you’ll build a Linux kernel with a vulnerable module, prepare everything required to run the kernel in a QEMU virtual machine, and automate the kernel module loading process. Finally, you will learn how to debug the kernel and use the ROP technique to gain root privileges.

Bad news: the Ignition library shipped with the Laravel PHP web framework contains a vulnerability. The bug enables unauthorized users to execute arbitrary code. This article examines the mistake made by the Ignition developers and discusses two exploitation methods for this vulnerability.

This article discusses one of the most sophisticated PWN topics: kernel exploitation in Linux. You are about to learn what tools are required for kernel debugging, what are LKM, KGDB, IOCTL, and TTY, and many other exciting things!

This article covers the following topics: memory management algorithms in Linux, heap exploitation techniques, and exploitation of the Use-After-Free (UAF) vulnerability on a host where all protection mechanisms are enabled. The target machine is RopeTwo, one of the most hardcore VMs on Hack The Box.

No, this article isn’t about motor cylinders and valves – it’s about Google V8 Engine used in Chromium and Android. Today, I will show how to hack it on RopeTwo, the most hardcore VM on Hack The Box. Concurrently, you will learn what types of data are used in this engine, how to manipulate them in order to drop an exploit, how to use V8 debugging tools, what it WebAssembly, and how can it be used to penetrate into the RopeTwo shell.

To run a program, you must install it first. But what if the installer doesn’t want to start, or even worse, refuses to install the app? In that situation, you have no choice but to hack it. Today, I will show how to do this easily, quickly, and effectively.