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gnu_stack.md

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Section Name: .note.GNU-stack

This is a special section in ELF files used by the GNU toolchain to indicate whether the stack is executable. The .note.GNU-stack section is usually included in ELF executables to help the operating system determine how to handle the stack, particularly in relation to security settings like non-executable stack.

Flags:

  • noalloc: This means the section doesn't take up space in the program's memory image (it's not allocated when the program is loaded). In other words, this section is not loaded into memory and exists only for metadata purposes.

  • noexec: This flag indicates that the stack should not be executable. This is a security feature used to prevent certain types of attacks, such as buffer overflow exploits where attackers try to execute arbitrary code placed on the stack. Marking the stack as non-executable helps mitigate this risk.

  • nowrite: This flag tells the loader that the section is read-only, meaning it can't be written to during program execution. This helps to protect against certain types of exploits that involve modifying executable sections in memory.

  • progbits: This is a type of section in the ELF format that holds data used by the program (e.g., instructions, constants, etc.). The section type progbits simply means that it contains program-related data (in this case, metadata related to the stack's executability).

In summary:

The .note.GNU-stack section in an ELF file marks the stack as non-executable, with specific flags indicating that the stack shouldn't be allocated in memory, shouldn't be writable, and should be protected against execution. This is a security feature aimed at preventing exploits that rely on executing code from the stack, such as stack buffer overflow attacks.