Tags: python reversing
Rating:
# UIUCTF - Are we out of the woods yet?
##### 350 Points - Reversing
```
It looks like this python script was run through a custom packer. It's just Python*, which means it must be easy to reverse, right?
*v3.6.1:69c0db5
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8qQsXpcZXA
```
This was fun little challenge that our team solved together. You are presented with the file `packed.py` that contains the following code:
```
import marshal, zlib, base64, itertools
def xor_strings(_left, _k):
out = b''
for l, r in zip(_left, itertools.cycle(_k)):
out += (l ^ ord(r)).to_bytes(1, byteorder='big')
return out
def YET_eval_code(p1, p2):
YET_code = marshal.loads(zlib.decompress(xor_strings(base64.b64decode(p2), p1)))
eval(YET_code)
YET_eval_code("YET", b'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')
```
We could quickly deduce that there was an embedded python program encoded with base64. In order to reveal the program we decompiled `YET_code` variable with [dis](https://docs.python.org/3/library/dis.html "Disassembler for Python bytecode").
```
import dis
print(dis.disassemble(YET_code))
```
This revealed more embedded data:
```
1 0 LOAD_CONST 0 (0)
2 LOAD_CONST 1 (None)
4 IMPORT_NAME 0 (marshal)
6 STORE_NAME 0 (marshal)
8 LOAD_CONST 0 (0)
10 LOAD_CONST 1 (None)
12 IMPORT_NAME 1 (zlib)
14 STORE_NAME 1 (zlib)
16 LOAD_CONST 0 (0)
18 LOAD_CONST 1 (None)
20 IMPORT_NAME 2 (base64)
22 STORE_NAME 2 (base64)
24 LOAD_CONST 0 (0)
26 LOAD_CONST 1 (None)
28 IMPORT_NAME 3 (itertools)
30 STORE_NAME 3 (itertools)
2 32 LOAD_CONST 2 ()
34 LOAD_CONST 3 ('xor_strings')
36 MAKE_FUNCTION 0
38 STORE_NAME 4 (xor_strings)
8 40 LOAD_CONST 4 ()
42 LOAD_CONST 5 ('CLEAR_eval_code')
44 MAKE_FUNCTION 0
46 STORE_NAME 5 (CLEAR_eval_code)
12 48 LOAD_NAME 5 (CLEAR_eval_code)
50 LOAD_CONST 6 ('CLEAR')
52 LOAD_CONST 7 (b'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')
54 CALL_FUNCTION 2
56 POP_TOP
58 LOAD_CONST 1 (None)
60 RETURN_VALUE
None
```
By substituting the `YET_eval_code` function call with the key `CLEAR` and with the above base64 encoded data, we get an other embedded python program. This process continues 3 more times until we reach the last and final program. This is how it looks like disassembled:
```
1 0 LOAD_CONST 0 (1338)
2 STORE_NAME 0 (x0)
2 4 LOAD_CONST 1 (413)
6 STORE_NAME 1 (x1)
3 8 LOAD_CONST 2 (3.5699)
10 STORE_NAME 2 (r)
4 12 LOAD_NAME 0 (x0)
14 STORE_NAME 3 (xn)
5 16 LOAD_NAME 1 (x1)
18 STORE_NAME 4 (xk)
7 20 LOAD_CONST 3 ('')
22 STORE_NAME 5 (accumulated)
9 24 LOAD_NAME 6 (input)
26 LOAD_CONST 4 ('I N P U T: ')
28 CALL_FUNCTION 1
30 STORE_NAME 7 (user)
10 32 SETUP_EXCEPT 14 (to 48)
11 34 LOAD_NAME 8 (bytes)
36 LOAD_ATTR 9 (fromhex)
38 LOAD_NAME 7 (user)
40 CALL_FUNCTION 1
42 STORE_NAME 7 (user)
44 POP_BLOCK
46 JUMP_FORWARD 36 (to 84)
12 >> 48 DUP_TOP
50 LOAD_NAME 10 (ValueError)
52 COMPARE_OP 10 (exception match)
54 POP_JUMP_IF_FALSE 82
56 POP_TOP
58 POP_TOP
60 POP_TOP
13 62 LOAD_NAME 11 (print)
64 LOAD_CONST 5 ('Non-hex byte entered!')
66 CALL_FUNCTION 1
68 POP_TOP
14 70 LOAD_NAME 12 (exit)
72 LOAD_CONST 14 (-1)
74 CALL_FUNCTION 1
76 POP_TOP
78 POP_EXCEPT
80 JUMP_FORWARD 2 (to 84)
>> 82 END_FINALLY
15 >> 84 LOAD_CONST 7 (b'\x8b*<LH~\xdc\xc4\xfc\xad\xff9\xe8h\x8d^\xf2\xc3\xa7\xc9&\x8f \xeaE_\xb0T\x05\xe5\xff\x9cD\x9e\x84\x13k\x0f~\xb5\x9cUm\x08\\')
86 STORE_NAME 13 (flag)
16 88 SETUP_LOOP 152 (to 242)
90 LOAD_NAME 14 (zip)
92 LOAD_NAME 13 (flag)
94 LOAD_NAME 7 (user)
96 CALL_FUNCTION 2
98 GET_ITER
>> 100 FOR_ITER 138 (to 240)
102 UNPACK_SEQUENCE 2
104 STORE_NAME 15 (flagchar)
106 STORE_NAME 16 (userchar)
17 108 LOAD_NAME 2 (r)
110 LOAD_NAME 3 (xn)
112 BINARY_MULTIPLY
114 LOAD_CONST 6 (1)
116 LOAD_NAME 3 (xn)
118 BINARY_SUBTRACT
120 BINARY_MULTIPLY
122 LOAD_NAME 0 (x0)
124 BINARY_MODULO
126 STORE_NAME 3 (xn)
18 128 LOAD_NAME 17 (int)
130 LOAD_NAME 3 (xn)
132 LOAD_CONST 15 (100)
134 BINARY_MULTIPLY
136 CALL_FUNCTION 1
138 LOAD_CONST 10 (255)
140 BINARY_MODULO
142 STORE_NAME 3 (xn)
20 144 LOAD_NAME 2 (r)
146 LOAD_NAME 4 (xk)
148 BINARY_MULTIPLY
150 LOAD_CONST 6 (1)
152 LOAD_NAME 4 (xk)
154 BINARY_SUBTRACT
156 BINARY_MULTIPLY
158 LOAD_NAME 1 (x1)
160 BINARY_MODULO
162 STORE_NAME 4 (xk)
21 164 LOAD_NAME 17 (int)
166 LOAD_NAME 4 (xk)
168 LOAD_CONST 16 (100)
170 BINARY_MULTIPLY
172 CALL_FUNCTION 1
174 LOAD_CONST 10 (255)
176 BINARY_MODULO
178 STORE_NAME 4 (xk)
23 180 LOAD_NAME 18 (chr)
182 LOAD_NAME 3 (xn)
184 LOAD_NAME 15 (flagchar)
186 BINARY_XOR
188 CALL_FUNCTION 1
190 STORE_NAME 19 (flagbyte)
24 192 LOAD_NAME 18 (chr)
194 LOAD_NAME 4 (xk)
196 LOAD_NAME 16 (userchar)
198 BINARY_XOR
200 CALL_FUNCTION 1
202 STORE_NAME 20 (userbyte)
26 204 LOAD_NAME 19 (flagbyte)
206 LOAD_NAME 20 (userbyte)
208 COMPARE_OP 3 (!=)
210 POP_JUMP_IF_FALSE 230
27 212 LOAD_NAME 11 (print)
214 LOAD_CONST 11 ('Still in the woods')
216 CALL_FUNCTION 1
218 POP_TOP
28 220 LOAD_NAME 12 (exit)
222 LOAD_CONST 17 (-1)
224 CALL_FUNCTION 1
226 POP_TOP
228 JUMP_ABSOLUTE 100
30 >> 230 LOAD_NAME 5 (accumulated)
232 LOAD_NAME 20 (userbyte)
234 INPLACE_ADD
236 STORE_NAME 5 (accumulated)
238 JUMP_ABSOLUTE 100
>> 240 POP_BLOCK
32 >> 242 LOAD_NAME 11 (print)
244 LOAD_CONST 12 ('Looking at it now, it all seems so simple:')
246 LOAD_NAME 5 (accumulated)
248 CALL_FUNCTION 2
250 POP_TOP
252 LOAD_CONST 13 (None)
254 RETURN_VALUE
None
```
We managed to reverse engineer the above output into the following python source:
```
import sys
x0 = 1338
x1 = 413
r = 3.5699
xn = x0
xk = x1
accumulated = ''
#user = input("I N P U T: ")
# user = bytes.fromhex(user)
# if not user:
# print('Non-hex byte entered!')
# sys.exit()
flag = b'\x8b*
