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{% endhint %} ## Basic Information A binary compiled as PIE, or **Position Independent Executable**, means the **program can load at different memory locations** each time it's executed, preventing hardcoded addresses. The trick to exploit these binaries lies in exploiting the **relative addresses**—the offsets between parts of the program remain the same even if the absolute locations change. To **bypass PIE, you only need to leak one address**, typically from the **stack** using vulnerabilities like format string attacks. Once you have an address, you can calculate others by their **fixed offsets**. A helpful hint in exploiting PIE binaries is that their **base address typically ends in 000** due to memory pages being the units of randomization, sized at 0x1000 bytes. This alignment can be a critical **check if an exploit isn't working** as expected, indicating whether the correct base address has been identified.\ Or you can use this for your exploit, if you leak that an address is located at **`0x649e1024`** you know that the **base address is `0x649e1000`** and from the you can just **calculate offsets** of functions and locations. ## Bypasses In order to bypass PIE it's needed to **leak some address of the loaded** binary, there are some options for this: * **Disabled ASLR**: If ASLR is disabled a binary compiled with PIE is always **going to be loaded in the same address**, therefore **PIE is going to be useless** as the addresses of the objects are always going to be in the same place. * Be **given** the leak (common in easy CTF challenges, [**check this example**](https://ir0nstone.gitbook.io/notes/types/stack/pie/pie-exploit)) * **Brute-force EBP and EIP values** in the stack until you leak the correct ones: {% content-ref url="pie/bypassing-canary-and-pie" %} [bypassing-canary-and-pie](https://angelica.gitbook.io/hacktricks/binary-exploitation/common-binary-protections-and-bypasses/pie/bypassing-canary-and-pie) {% endcontent-ref %} * Use an **arbitrary read** vulnerability such as [**format string**](https://angelica.gitbook.io/hacktricks/binary-exploitation/format-strings) to leak an address of the binary (e.g. from the stack, like in the previous technique) to get the base of the binary and use offsets from there. [**Find an example here**](https://ir0nstone.gitbook.io/notes/types/stack/pie/pie-bypass). ## References * {% hint style="success" %} Learn & practice AWS Hacking:

[**HackTricks Training AWS Red Team Expert (ARTE)**](https://training.hacktricks.xyz/courses/arte)

\ Learn & practice GCP Hacking:

[**HackTricks Training GCP Red Team Expert (GRTE)**

](https://training.hacktricks.xyz/courses/grte)

Support HackTricks

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