README.md

🔐 XOR Shellcode Encoder

⚠️ FOR EDUCATIONAL AND RESEARCH PURPOSES ONLY Use only in controlled lab environments on shellcode you own.

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📌 Overview

A simple C++ tool that XOR-encodes a shellcode byte array using a rolling key and outputs the encoded result as a ready-to-use .h header file. Designed for security researchers and students studying shellcode obfuscation techniques.

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🔬 How It Works

shellcode[] (raw bytes)
      │
      ▼
XOR(key, shellcode, size)   ← rolling key XOR — each byte XOR'd with key[i % keylen]
      │
      ▼
encoded_shellcode.h         ← output header with encoded bytes ready to embed

Each byte is encoded as:

encoded[i] = shellcode[i] ^ key[i % key.length()]

The same function decodes it — XOR is symmetric, so running XOR() again with the same key restores the original bytes.

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📁 Files

File	Description
XorEncoder.cpp	Main encoder — XORs shellcode and writes output header
encoded_shellcode.h	Auto-generated output containing the encoded byte array

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⚙️ Setup

Prerequisites

• Windows or Linux
• Any C++ compiler:
  • Windows: Visual Studio 2022 or g++ via MinGW
  • Linux: g++

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🚀 How to Use

Step 1 — Add your shellcode

Open XorEncoder.cpp and replace the placeholder shellcode with your own bytes:

unsigned char shellcode[] = {
    0xFC, 0x48, 0x83, ...    // paste your raw shellcode bytes here
};

Step 2 — Set your XOR key

std::string key = "mysecretkey";   // replace with your own key

The key can be any string. Longer keys are harder to brute-force. You must use the same key when decoding.

Step 3 — Build

Visual Studio:

Build → Build Solution  (Ctrl+Shift+B)

g++ (Windows/Linux):

g++ XorEncoder.cpp -o XorEncoder

Step 4 — Run

Windows:

XorEncoder.exe

Linux:

./XorEncoder

Step 5 — Use the output

The tool generates encoded_shellcode.h:

unsigned char shellcode[] = { 0xdd, 0x3d, 0x3d, 0x3d, 0x3d, 0x3d, 0x3d, 0x3d };

Copy this file into your project and include it:

#include "encoded_shellcode.h"

To decode at runtime, call XOR() again with the same key before execution:

XOR(key, shellcode, sizeof(shellcode));

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📊 Example

Input shellcode (NOP sled):

0x90, 0x90, 0x90, 0x90

Key: "mysecretkey"

Encoded output:

0x90 ^ 'm' = 0xFD
0x90 ^ 'y' = 0x09
0x90 ^ 's' = 0x03
0x90 ^ 'e' = 0xF5

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⚠️ Limitations

Issue	Detail
No key validation	Empty key causes division by zero in key.length() — always set a non-empty key
XOR only	Single-layer obfuscation — combine with AES for stronger protection
Key stored in plaintext	The key is visible in the binary — consider obfuscating it

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🛡️ What This Teaches

Topic	Detail
XOR obfuscation	How rolling-key XOR works at byte level
Shellcode encoding	How encoded payloads evade static signature detection
File I/O in C++	Writing formatted output to .h header files
Symmetric encoding	Why XOR is its own inverse with the same key

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👤 Author

Khalid — Cybersecurity Student GitHub: @khalid609

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📄 License

For educational and authorized security research use only.