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File-BSED-0.3
River stage zero No dependents
/ File::BSED

NAME

File::BSED - Search/Replace in Binary Files.

VERSION

This document describes File::BSED version 0.3

SYNOPSIS

    use File::BSED qw(bsed binary_files_matches);

    # search/replace
    my $matches = bsed({
        search  => 'ff3cea3f0013',
        replace => 'b801000000c3',
        infile  => '/bin/ls',
        outfile => '/tmp/ls.patched'
    });
    if ($matches == -1) {
        my $error_string = File::BSED->errtostr();
        die "Error: $error_string\n";
    }
    print "Replaced $matches time(s)\n";

    # search
    my $matches = binary_files_matches('ff3cea3f0013', '/bin/ls');
    print "Matched $matches time(s)\n";

DESCRIPTION

This is a perl-binding to bsedlib, which is a library version of bsed, the binary stream editor.

bsed lets you search and replace binary data in binary files by using hex values in text strings as search patterns. You can also use wildcard matches with ??, which will match any wide byte.

These are all valid search strings:

    search => "0xffc300193ab2f63a";
    search => "0xff??00??3ab2f??a";
    search => "FF??00??3AB2F??A";

while these are not:

    search => "the quick brown fox"; # only hex, no text. you would have to
                                     # convert the text to hex first.
    search => "0xff?c33ab3?accc";    # no nybbles only wide bytes. (?? not ?).

SUBROUTINES/METHODS

CLASS METHODS

bsed(\%arguments)

Search and replace in a binary file. Valid arguments are:

The pattern to search for. Must be a string with hex digits.

replace

What to replace with. Must be a string with hex digits. (Probably a very good idea that it is the same length as the search pattern).

infile

The filename of the file to search in.

outfile

The filename of the file to save changes to.

minmatch

Need at least $minmatch matches before any work.

maxmatch

Stop after $maxmatch matches.

bsed returns the number of times the search string was found in the file, or -1 if an error occured. When an error occurs the error number can be found with errno and you can get a description of the error with errtostr.

Example:

    my $number_of_matches = bsed({
        search  => '0xff',
        replace => '0x00',
        
        infile  => '/bin/ls',
        outfile => '/bin/ls.patched',
    });

    if ($number_of_matches = -1) {
        die sprintf("ERROR: %s\n", File::BSED->errtostr());
    }
    print "Replaced $number_of_matches time(s).\n";

ERROR HANDLING

binary_file_matches($search_pattern, $input_file)

Return the number of times $search_pattern is found in binary file. Search pattern must be a string of hex digits.

Example:

    my $number_of_matches = binary_file_matches('0xfeedface', '/bin/ls');
    print "Matched $number_of_matches time(s)\n";

errtostr

This function returns a string describing what happened. if an error has occured with either bsed or binary_file_matches (they return -1 on error).

errno

This function returns the error number if an error has occured with either bsed or binary_file_matches (they return -1 on error).

Use errtostr instead.

DIAGNOSTICS

CONFIGURATION AND ENVIRONMENT

This module requires no configuration file or environment variables.

DEPENDENCIES

  • A working C compiler.

INCOMPATIBILITIES

None known.

BUGS AND LIMITATIONS

No bugs have been reported.

Please report any bugs or feature requests to bug-file-bsed@rt.cpan.org, or through the web interface at http://rt.cpan.org.

SEE ALSO

bsed

The bsedlib is a fork of bsed, you can get more information on bsed here:

http://www.bell-labs.com/wwexptools/bsed/

AUTHOR

File::BSED and bsedlib by Ask Solem, ask@0x61736b.net.

bsed - the original program, by Dave Dykstra dwdbsed@drdykstra.us. with patch from 0xfeedface.

LICENSE AND COPYRIGHT

Copyright (c), 2007 Ask Solem ask@0x61736b.net.

All rights reserved>.

File::BSED is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License (GPL) as published by the Free Software Foundation (http://www.fsf.org/); either version 2 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.

You should have received copies of the GPL and AGPL as part of the File::BSED distribution, in the file named "LICENSE.GPL". respectively; if not, see http://www.gnu.org/licenses or write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA.

DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY

BECAUSE THIS SOFTWARE IS LICENSED FREE OF CHARGE, THERE IS NO WARRANTY FOR THE SOFTWARE, TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW. EXCEPT WHEN OTHERWISE STATED IN WRITING THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND/OR OTHER PARTIES PROVIDE THE SOFTWARE "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. THE ENTIRE RISK AS TO THE QUALITY AND PERFORMANCE OF THE SOFTWARE IS WITH YOU. SHOULD THE SOFTWARE PROVE DEFECTIVE, YOU ASSUME THE COST OF ALL NECESSARY SERVICING, REPAIR, OR CORRECTION.

IN NO EVENT UNLESS REQUIRED BY APPLICABLE LAW OR AGREED TO IN WRITING WILL ANY COPYRIGHT HOLDER, OR ANY OTHER PARTY WHO MAY MODIFY AND/OR REDISTRIBUTE THE SOFTWARE AS PERMITTED BY THE ABOVE LICENCE, BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR DAMAGES, INCLUDING ANY GENERAL, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE THE SOFTWARE (INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO LOSS OF DATA OR DATA BEING RENDERED INACCURATE OR LOSSES SUSTAINED BY YOU OR THIRD PARTIES OR A FAILURE OF THE SOFTWARE TO OPERATE WITH ANY OTHER SOFTWARE), EVEN IF SUCH HOLDER OR OTHER PARTY HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.