# PIE
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## 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**βthe 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="bypassing-canary-and-pie.md" %}
[bypassing-canary-and-pie.md](bypassing-canary-and-pie.md)
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* Use an arbitrary read vulnerability such as [**format string**](../../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
* [https://ir0nstone.gitbook.io/notes/types/stack/pie](https://ir0nstone.gitbook.io/notes/types/stack/pie)
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Learn & practice AWS Hacking:[**HackTricks Training AWS Red Team Expert (ARTE)**](https://training.hacktricks.xyz/courses/arte)\
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Support HackTricks
* Check the [**subscription plans**](https://github.com/sponsors/carlospolop)!
* **Join the** π¬ [**Discord group**](https://discord.gg/hRep4RUj7f) or the [**telegram group**](https://t.me/peass) or **follow** us on **Twitter** π¦ [**@hacktricks\_live**](https://twitter.com/hacktricks\_live)**.**
* **Share hacking tricks by submitting PRs to the** [**HackTricks**](https://github.com/carlospolop/hacktricks) and [**HackTricks Cloud**](https://github.com/carlospolop/hacktricks-cloud) github repos.
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