hacktricks/binary-exploitation/libc-heap/tcache-bin-attack.md

# Tcache Bin Attack

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## Basic Information

For more information about what is a Tcache bin check this page:

{% content-ref url="bins-and-memory-allocations.md" %}
[bins-and-memory-allocations.md](bins-and-memory-allocations.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}

First of all, note that the Tcache was introduced in Glibc version 2.26.

The **Tcache attack** (also known as **Tcache poisoning**) proposed in the [**guyinatuxido page**](https://guyinatuxedo.github.io/29-tcache/tcache\_explanation/index.html) is very similar to the fast bin attack where the goal is to overwrite the pointer to the next chunk in the bin inside a freed chunk to an arbitrary address so later it's possible to **allocate that specific address and potentially overwrite pointes**.

However, nowadays, if you run the mentioned code you will get the error: **`malloc(): unaligned tcache chunk detected`**. So, it's needed to write as address in the new pointer an aligned address (or execute enough times the binary so the written address is actually aligned).

### Tcache indexes attack

Usually it's possible to find at the beginning of the heap a chunk containing the **amount of chunks per index** inside the tcache and the address to the **head chunk of each tcache index**. If for some reason it's possible to modify this information, it would be possible to **make the head chunk of some index point to a desired address** (like `__malloc_hook`) to then allocated a chunk of the size of the index and overwrite the contents of `__malloc_hook` in this case.

## Examples

* CTF [https://guyinatuxedo.github.io/29-tcache/dcquals19\_babyheap/index.html](https://guyinatuxedo.github.io/29-tcache/dcquals19\_babyheap/index.html)
  * **Libc info leak**: It's possible to fill the tcaches, add a chunk into the unsorted list, empty the tcache and **re-allocate the chunk from the unsorted bin** only overwriting the first 8B, leaving the **second address to libc from the chunk intact so we can read it**.
  * **Tcache attack**: The binary is vulnerable a 1B heap overflow. This will be abuse to change the **size header** of an allocated chunk making it bigger. Then, this chunk will be **freed**, adding it to the tcache of chunks of the fake size. Then, we will allocate a chunk with the faked size, and the previous chunk will be **returned knowing that this chunk was actually smaller** and this grants up the opportunity to **overwrite the next chunk in memory**.\
    We will abuse this to **overwrite the next chunk's FD pointer** to point to **`malloc_hook`**, so then its possible to alloc 2 pointers: first the legit pointer we just modified, and then the second allocation will return a chunk in **`malloc_hook`** that it's possible to abuse to write a **one gadget**.
* CTF [https://guyinatuxedo.github.io/29-tcache/plaid19\_cpp/index.html](https://guyinatuxedo.github.io/29-tcache/plaid19\_cpp/index.html)
  * **Libc info leak**: There is a use after free and a double free. In this writeup the author leaked an address of libc by readnig the address of a chunk placed in a small bin (like leaking it from the unsorted bin but from the small one)
  * **Tcache attack**: A Tcache is performed via a **double free**. The same chunk is freed twice, so inside the Tcache the chunk will point to itself. Then, it's allocated, its FD pointer is modified to point to the **free hook** and then it's allocated again so the next chunk in the list is going to be in the free hook. Then, this is also allocated and it's possible to write a the address of `system` here so when a malloc containing `"/bin/sh"` is freed we get a shell.
* CTF [https://guyinatuxedo.github.io/44-more\_tcache/csaw19\_popping\_caps0/index.html](https://guyinatuxedo.github.io/44-more\_tcache/csaw19\_popping\_caps0/index.html)
  * The main vuln here is the capacity to `free` any address in the heap by indicating its offset
  * **Tcache indexes attack**: It's possible to allocate and free a chunk of a size that when stored inside the tcache chunk (the chunk with the info of the tcache bins) will generate an **address with the value 0x100**. This is because the tcache stores the amount of chunks on each bin in different bytes, therefore one chunk in one specific index generates the value 0x100.
  * Then, this value looks like there is a chunk of size 0x100. Allowing to abuse it by `free` this address. This will **add that address to the index of chunks of size 0x100 in the tcache**.
  * Then, **allocating** a chunk of size **0x100**, the previous address will be returned as a chunk, allowing to overwrite other tcache indexes.\
    For example putting the address of malloc hook in one of them and allocating a chunk of the size of that index will grant a chunk in calloc hook, which allows for writing a one gadget to get a s shell.
* CTF [https://guyinatuxedo.github.io/44-more\_tcache/csaw19\_popping\_caps1/index.html](https://guyinatuxedo.github.io/44-more\_tcache/csaw19\_popping\_caps1/index.html)
  * Same vulnerability as before with one extra restriction
  * **Tcache indexes attack**: Similar attack to the previous one but using less steps by **freeing the chunk that contains the tcache info** so it's address is added to the tcache index of its size so it's possible to allocate that size and get the tcache chunk info as a chunk, which allows to add free hook as the address of one index, alloc it, and write a one gadget on it.
* [**Math Door. HTB Cyber Apocalypse CTF 2023**](https://7rocky.github.io/en/ctf/other/htb-cyber-apocalypse/math-door/)
  * **Write After Free** to add a number to the `fd` pointer.
  * A lot of **heap feng-shui** is needed in this challenge. The writeup shows how **controlling the head of the Tcache** free-list is pretty handy.
  * **Glibc leak** through `stdout` (FSOP).
  * **Tcache poisoning** to get an arbitrary write primitive.

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