# stong/how-to-exploit-a-double-free

How to exploit a double free vulnerability in 2021. Use After Free for Dummies

Repository: https://github.com/stong/how-to-exploit-a-double-free
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/how-to-exploit-a-double-free
Language: Python
License Family: other
Topics: use-after-free, double-free, heap, exploitation, ctf, pwn, binary, tutorial, walkthrough, microarchitecture, lock-free
Last push: 2025-01-31T08:45:58+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 34/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-02T17:46:02.011165+00:00)
- activity 4, release rhythm 35, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 1772, "days_push": 579, "days_rel": null, "gap_med": null, "n_releases_24m": 0}
- flags: no_releases, no_license
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 1387, forks 64 (observed 2026-08-28T04:04:35.078889+00:00)

## What it is
A long-form tutorial repository teaching modern binary exploitation through a real CTF challenge from pbctf. It walks through exploiting an ARM-only race condition leading to a double free / use-after-free heap corruption, from source code audit to obtaining a shell.

## Use cases
- learn how to exploit a double free vulnerability
- understand use-after-free heap exploitation
- study how race conditions differ between ARM and x86
- learn lock-free programming memory ordering bugs
- prepare for CTF pwn challenges
- see a full vulnerability research walkthrough from audit to shell
- learn how to get arbitrary read and write from heap corruption

## When to choose
- you want a detailed, practical walkthrough of modern heap exploitation
- you are learning CTF pwn or binary exploitation techniques
- you want to understand ARM vs x86 memory ordering and race condition bugs

## When to avoid
- you need a reusable exploitation tool or library rather than a tutorial
- you are looking for beginner-level general programming education unrelated to security
- you need maintained software with a license for production use

## Facets
- artifact type: learning-resource
- maturity: stable
- function: security, reverse-engineering, developer-tools
- domain: security, tutorials, developer-tools
- platform: -
- tags: binary-exploitation, use-after-free, double-free, heap-exploitation, ctf, pwn, race-condition, lock-free-programming, microarchitecture, walkthrough, linux, arm

## Member repositories
- stong/how-to-exploit-a-double-free (main) score 34

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:04:35.078889+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-30T04:39:51.598883+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/stong/how-to-exploit-a-double-free (fetched 2026-08-28T04:04:35.078889+00:00, sha 88e9775210b4)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.