# ChrisTheCoolHut/Zeratool

Automatic Exploit Generation (AEG) and remote flag capture for exploitable CTF problems

Repository: https://github.com/ChrisTheCoolHut/Zeratool
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/zeratool
Language: Python
License: GPL-3.0
License Family: copyleft
Topics: angr, aeg, shellcode, buffer-overflow, solver, ctf
Last push: 2023-09-10T17:51:53+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 23/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 0, release rhythm 8, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 2993, "days_push": 1088, "days_rel": null, "gap_med": null, "n_releases_24m": 0}
- flags: none
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 1144, forks 145 (observed 2026-08-28T04:03:45.062602+00:00)

## What it is
Zeratool is an Automatic Exploit Generation (AEG) tool that uses angr to concolically analyze binaries for buffer overflow and format string vulnerabilities, then weaponizes them with pwntools for remote code execution. It can automatically submit generated payloads to remote CTF servers to capture flags, including libc leaking and ROP chain generation.

## Use cases
- automatically exploit buffer overflow CTF challenges
- generate format string exploits for binaries
- capture flags from remote CTF servers automatically
- leak remote libc addresses via puts/printf GOT entries
- generate ROP chains that execve /bin/sh
- find unconstrained paths in binaries with symbolic execution
- run ret2dlresolve attacks on 64-bit binaries

## When to choose
- solving CTF pwn challenges with buffer overflows or format string bugs
- automating exploit generation for simple exploitable binaries
- capturing flags from remote CTF servers without manual exploit writing
- learning how AEG and binary exploitation techniques work

## When to avoid
- exploiting modern hardened binaries with full mitigations
- production security testing requiring reliable, maintained tooling
- complex exploitation scenarios beyond buffer overflows and format strings
- Windows or macOS targets (tested on Ubuntu only)

## Facets
- artifact type: cli-tool
- maturity: maintenance
- function: penetration-testing, security, cli
- domain: security, penetration-testing, developer-tools
- platform: python, cli
- tags: aeg, ctf, exploitation, binary-exploitation, angr, pwntools, buffer-overflow, format-string, shellcode, rop, linux

## Member repositories
- ChrisTheCoolHut/Zeratool (main) score 23

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:03:45.062602+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 2026-08-30T06:34:41.468708+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/ChrisTheCoolHut/Zeratool (fetched 2026-08-28T04:03:45.062602+00:00, sha 73fa55b0e529)
  - registry_pypi: https://pypi.org/pypi/zeratool/json (fetched 2026-08-29T12:39:46.725388+00:00, sha 0709cd610c59)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.