Shellcode Injection

Shellcode injection is a type of exploit used in cybersecurity attacks where an attacker injects a small piece of code, known as "Shellcode," into a vulnerable program. This code typically opens up a command shell from which the attacker can control the system.

Shellcode is a set of instructions used as a payload in the exploitation of a software vulnerability. It's called "shellcode" because it often opens a command shell from which an attacker can control the system.

Shellcode injection commonly exploits Buffer Overflows|buffer overflow vulnerabilities in software. A buffer overflow occurs when more data is put into a buffer (a temporary data storage area) than it can handle, causing data to overflow into adjacent storage.

The primary goal of shellcode injection is to execute arbitrary code on the victim's machine. The shellcode is crafted to perform actions that the attacker chooses, such as creating a backdoor for future access.

The attacker identifies a vulnerability in a software program that can be exploited (commonly a buffer overflow). They then inject shellcode into the program's memory, typically by providing input data that the program processes without proper validation. The vulnerability is exploited to divert the program's execution flow to the injected shellcode, which then gets executed.

Shellcode is often platform-specific; it must be written to match the architecture and operating system of the target system.