How Can I Execute an Executable from Memory in Go or C on Linux?

Executing Executables from Memory in Golang or C

In computer programming, situations arise where the need to execute an executable from memory becomes necessary. This article explores techniques to achieve this task using either Go or C in a Linux environment.

The Approach: Memory Modification and Execution

To execute an executable from memory, you need to first change the permissions of the memory region containing the executable binary. This way, the memory will be accessible as executable code. In C, you can utilize the mprotect() system call for this task.

After modifying the memory permissions, you can directly execute the binary by jumping into the memory address where it resides. In Go, this can be done using the mmap() and mprotect() system calls. The mmap() call maps the memory into the program's address space, while mprotect() adjusts the protection of the mapped memory.

Here's an example of how you could achieve this in Go:

import (
    "syscall"
    "unsafe"
)

func executeBuffer(buffer []byte) error {
    const RWX = syscall.PROT_READ | syscall.PROT_WRITE | syscall.PROT_EXEC

    // Map the memory
    addr, err := syscall.Mmap(0, 0, len(buffer), syscall.MAP_PRIVATE, syscall.MAP_ANONYMOUS)
    if err != nil {
        return err
    }

    // Copy the data into mapped memory
    copy(addr, buffer)

    // Change the protection
    err = syscall.Mprotect(addr, len(buffer), RWX)
    if err != nil {
        return err
    }

    (*func())(unsafe.Pointer(uintptr(addr)))()
    return nil
}

Note: This technique is best used for executing small executables, as it requires modifying memory permissions and can potentially affect the stability of your program. Additionally, it's worth checking the portability of this approach if you plan to use it in non-Linux environments.

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