Assignment 2 - Binary Pwnage
Assignment 2 is due 03/08/24 on or before 11:59:59pm EDT.
Description
Your goal is to break a series of x86-64 binaries using the full range of your hacking skills.
Everyone in the class was sent a user account name and password for the previous homework. You are going to use the same username and password to login to the server via ssh. The details of how to connect are on Piazza.
Every challenge can be found under the directory /var/challenges/level<X> where <X> is replaced by the level numbers. Each level runs with different elevated privileges, so exploiting a vulnerability in the binary in this context means to execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges. Running l33t with elevated privileges will make a record that you managed to exploit the binary. Note that you will need to log out, then back into the server to see the upgraded level with the id tool. Otherwise, you could use exec su -l $USER or newgrp levX, where levX is the level you just hacked.
Evaluation
For each level, you need to demonstrate that you have managed to elevate your privileges in the system. Obtaining this privileged shell is done first by identifying the vulnerability, then developing a working exploit. Once you have a working exploit that has provided a privileged shell, simply execute l33t to report your success to the grader. You will also need to demonstrate that you have successfully exploited the binary by providing the source code for your exploit and a description of how you exploited the binary. The description is important and will affect how we grade your assignment.
| Level | Points |
|---|---|
| Level1 | 20 |
| Level2 | 20 |
| Level3 | 20 |
| Level4 | 20 |
| Level5 | 20 |
Tools
You will need to sharpen your Linux hacking toolbelt. You will probably need to become familiar with the following tools to understand the binaries that you want to break:
- objdump
- gdb/gef
- radare2
- ltrace
- strace
- Ghidra
- etc…
Evaluation
You will be awarded points based on how many levels are solved. The total number of points that can be obtained from this assignment is 100 points.
Submission Instructions
You will need to submit all source code written for this assignment, and a README. Your README file must contain your name, Unity ID, and a description of how you broke each level. The description is important and will affect how we grade your assignment.
For this submission we are going to use GitHub Classroom. Your submission will be a git repository. If you are not familiar with git here is a quick guide.