Getting Started

There are two options to set up a virtual machine for the project. There is no difference which option you choose. Option 2 is easier to set up, but requires a stable Internet connection. If you run into any issues with either option, please check the FAQ on Piazza first.

Option 1: Local Setup (VirtualBox)

This option is recommended if you do not have a stable Internet connection.

To work with this option, you will need to install VirtualBox and an SSH client (on Windows, use Putty or Git Bash). On Linux and Mac, you can install these programs from your package manager (e.g., apt or brew).

Open VirtualBox, and download and import the VM image (pwnable-fa21.ova) via File -> Import Applicance.

You can now start the VM, in which you will run the vulnerable programs and their exploits. You can SSH into the VM by running ssh -p 16121 USERNAME@127.0.0.1 on your local machine, replacing USERNAME depending on the question.

To make sure the VM works, run ssh -p 16121 customizer@127.0.0.1. If you see a prompt for customizer@127.0.0.1’s password:, you are ready to start the project.

Option 2: Online Setup (the Hive)

To work with this option, you will need an EECS instructional account (you should have set one up in HW1, Q2.2).

To start the VM, execute the following command in your terminal:

$ ssh -t cs161-XXX@hiveYY.cs.berkeley.edu \~cs161/proj1/start

Replace XXX with the last three letters of your instructional account, and YY with the number of a hive machine (1-20). For best experience, use Hivemind to select a hive machine with low load. (Machines 21-30 are reserved for CS61C, so please only use machines 1-20.)

If everything works successfully, a lot of output will scroll by (from the virtual machine booting up). If you see a pwnable login: prompt, you are ready to start the project.

Note: Normally when you are done with the VM, you can simply close the terminal window. Some events might cause the VM to become inaccessible. In this case you can force close the VM by running the following command on your local computer:

$ ssh cs161-XXX@hiveYY.cs.berkeley.edu \~cs161/proj1/stop