assign a pointer to a pointer in assembly and c - c

In a C method, given the only local variable int i (uninitialized), that i'd like to store in the register %ecx, and given the following struct located in %ebp+8:
typedef struct {
char c;
int k;
int *m;
} S1;
how do I translate into assembly (at&t syntax) the following code:
i=*(a.m);
i=i+a.k;
Thanks!

Given that i is int, in masm it's going to be something like:
;i = *(a.m);
mov eax, [ebp+13] ; 13 = +8+1+4
mov ecx, [eax] ; store i in ecx
;i = i + a.k;
mov eax, ptr [ebp+9] ; 9 = +8+1
add ecx, eax ; new value of i

Related

How do I add two dereferenced pointers in Assembly?

I'm trying to get the hang of Assembly for class. So for this C code:
int a = 10;
int b = 20;
int *aPtr = &a;
int *bPtr = &b;
b += a;
*aPtr = *aPtr + *bPtr; //dereference
printf(“aPtr points to value: %d\n”, *aPtr);
*** Updated
I tried this in Assembly:
.data
var1 DWORD 10
var2 DWORD 20
var3 DWORD ?
.code
main PROC
mov eax, 10
mov ebx, 20
add ebx, eax
mov var3, ebx
mov eax, offset var1
mov ebx, offset var3
mov ecx, [eax]
mov edx, [ebx]
add ecx, edx
mov var3, ecx
INVOKE ExitProcess, 0
main endp
end
But I know that the pointers can't simply be deferenced and added together like that. We also can't use lea, so I'm at a loss on how to add a dereferenced value to another dereferenced value in Assembly; I'm also not sure how I would convert the printf statement correctly. Could I get some help?
Your code is not yet updating the a and b variables with the results from the operations.
int a = 10;
int b = 20;
int *aPtr = &a;
int *bPtr = &b;
a SDWORD 10
b SDWORD 20
aPtr DWORD offset a
bPtr DWORD offset b
b += a;
mov eax, a
add b, eax ; Result in b (30)
*aPtr = *aPtr + *bPtr;
mov edi, aPtr
mov esi, bPtr
mov eax, [edi]
add eax, [esi]
mov [edi], eax ; Result in a (40)
printf(“aPtr points to value: %d\n”, *aPtr);
msg db 'aPtr points to value: %d\n', 0
...
mov edi, aPtr
mov eax, [edi]
push eax
push offset msg
call _printf
add esp, 8

How to pass array from assembly to a C function

I wanna pass an array defined in assembly code to a C function, but i'm getting a segment violation error when i try to access that array in my C code. Here is the assembly code (i'm using nasm):
%include "io.inc"
extern minimo ;My C function
extern printf
section .data
array db 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 ;My array
alen db 5 ;My array length
fmt db "%d", 10, 0 ;Format for the printf function
section .text
global CMAIN
CMAIN:
xor eax, eax
mov ebx, [alen]
mov ecx, [array]
push ebx
push ecx
call minimo
add esp, 8
push eax
push fmt
call printf
add esp, 8
mov eax, 1
mov ebx, 0
int 80h
And here is my C code:
int minimo(int *array, int size){
int ret = array[0];
for (int i = 1; i < size; i++){
if(array[i] < ret){
ret = array[i];
}
}
return ret;
}
mov ecx, [array] moves the value sitting on the location "array" points to, so you need to move an address mov ecx, array will do

Assembly Return int to C function segfaults

I am finishing up an assembly program that replaces characters in a string with a given replacement character. The assembly code calls C functions and the assembly program itself is called from main in my .c file. However, when trying to finish and return a final int value FROM the assembly program TO C, I get segfaults. My .asm file is as follows:
; File: strrepl.asm
; Implements a C function with the prototype:
;
; int strrepl(char *str, int c, int (* isinsubset) (int c) ) ;
;
;
; Result: chars in string are replaced with the replacement character and string is returned.
SECTION .text
global strrepl
_strrepl: nop
strrepl:
push ebp ; set up stack frame
mov ebp, esp
push esi ; save registers
push ebx
xor eax, eax
mov ecx, [ebp + 8] ;load string (char array) into ecx
jecxz end ;jump if [ecx] is zero
mov al, [ebp + 12] ;move the replacement character into esi
mov edx, [ebp + 16] ;move function pointer into edx
firstLoop:
xor eax, eax
mov edi, [ecx]
cmp edi, 0
jz end
mov edi, ecx ; save array
movzx eax, byte [ecx] ;load single byte into eax
push eax ; parameter for (*isinsubset)
mov edx, [ebp + 16]
call edx ; execute (*isinsubset)
mov ecx, edi ; restore array
cmp eax, 0
jne secondLoop
add esp, 4 ; "pop off" the parameter
mov ebx, eax ; store return value
add ecx, 1
jmp firstLoop
secondLoop:
mov eax, [ebp+12]
mov [ecx], al
mov edx, [ebp+16]
add esp, 4
mov ebx, eax
add ecx, 1
jmp firstLoop
end:
pop ebx ; restore registers
pop esi
mov esp, ebp ; take down stack frame
pop ebp
mov eax, 9
push eax ;test
ret
and my c file is:
#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <string.h>
#include <ctype.h>
//display *((char *) $edi)
// These functions will be implemented in assembly:
//
int strrepl(char *str, int c, int (* isinsubset) (int c) ) ;
int isvowel (int c) {
if (c == 'a' || c == 'e' || c == 'i' || c == 'o' || c == 'u')
return 1 ;
if (c == 'A' || c == 'E' || c == 'I' || c == 'O' || c == 'U')
return 1 ;
return 0 ;
}
int main(){
char *str1;
int r;
str1 = strdup("ABC 123 779 Hello World") ;
r = strrepl(str1, '#', &isdigit) ;
printf("str1 = \"%s\"\n", str1) ;
printf("%d chararcters were replaced\n", r) ;
free(str1) ;
return 0;
}
In my assembly code, you can see in end
mov eax, 9
push eax
I am simply trying to return the value 9 to the value "r" which is an int in the C file. This is just a test to see if I can return an int back to r in the c file. Eventually I will be returning the number of characters that were replaced back to r. However, I need to figure out why the following code above is segfaulting. Any ideas?
mov eax, 9
push eax ; NOT a good idea
ret
That is a big mistake. It's going to return based on the lowest thing on the stack and you've just pushed something on to the stack that's almost certainly not a valid return address.
Most functions return a code by simply placing it into eax (this depends on calling convention of course but that's a pretty common one), there's generally no need to push it on to the stack, and certainly plenty of downside to doing so.
Return values are normally stored in EAX on X86 32 bit machines. So your pushing it on the stack after storing it in EAX is wrong, because the function it is returning to will try to use what is in EAX as a value for IP (instruction pointer)
Ret with no argument pops the return address off of the stack and jumps to it.
source

Interpretation of C Code in IDA Pro Needed

I'm using IDA Pro to disassemble the following C code: However looking at the disassembly below it seems to me incomplete. The data is never initialized (as per C code) even though it does appear to be loaded into the stack however the procedure (nullsub_1) that is located at 00401040 makes no use of the data ? Am I making a correct assessment or am I missing something ??? I have used Visual C++ 6/2005 to compile the C code.
#include <stdio.h>
#include <windows.h>
struct a
{
char s[10];
BYTE b;
int i;
};
a al;
void init(a);
void main()
{
init(al);
};
void init(a c)
{
for(int j = 0; j < 10; j++) c.s[j] = 'A';
c.b = 10;
c.i = 10000;
};
.text:00401000 ; int __cdecl main(int argc,const char **argv,const char *envp)
.text:00401000 _main proc near ; CODE XREF: start+AFp
.text:00401000
.text:00401000 argc = dword ptr 4
.text:00401000 argv = dword ptr 8
.text:00401000 envp = dword ptr 0Ch
.text:00401000
.text:00401000 mov ecx, dword_4084C0
.text:00401006 mov edx, dword_4084C4
.text:0040100C sub esp, 10h
.text:0040100F mov eax, esp
.text:00401011 mov [eax], ecx
.text:00401013 mov ecx, dword_4084C8
.text:00401019 mov [eax+4], edx
.text:0040101C mov edx, dword_4084CC
.text:00401022 mov [eax+8], ecx
.text:00401025 mov [eax+0Ch], edx
.text:00401028 call nullsub_1
.text:0040102D add esp, 10h
.text:00401030 retn
.text:00401030 _main endp
.text:00401030
.text:00401030 ;
.text:00401031 align 10h
.text:00401040
.text:00401040
.text:00401040
.text:00401040 nullsub_1 proc near ; CODE XREF: _main+28p
.text:00401040 retn
.text:00401040 nullsub_1 endp
Your source code has no side effects other than just writing to memory. The compiler eliminates those writes as useless.
You may have better luck if you compile it in Debug mode (instead of Release) or turn off some compiler optimizations.
Alternatively, accesses to variables defined as volatile will be preserved, so you can add volatile in your code.

Translate a FOR to assembler

I need to translate what is commented within the method, to assembler. I have a roughly idea, but can't.
Anyone can help me please? Is for an Intel x32 architecture:
int
secuencia ( int n, EXPRESION * * o )
{
int a, i;
//--- Translate from here ...
for ( i = 0; i < n; i++ ){
a = evaluarExpresion( *o );
o++;
}
return a ;
//--- ... until here.
}
Translated code must be within __asm as:
__asm {
translated code
}
Thank you,
FINAL UPDATE:
This is the final version, working and commented, thanks to all for your help :)
int
secuencia ( int n, EXPRESION * * o )
{
int a = 0, i;
__asm
{
mov dword ptr [i],0 ; int i = 0
jmp salto1
ciclo1:
mov eax,dword ptr [i]
add eax,1 ; increment in 1 the value of i
mov dword ptr [i],eax ; i++
salto1:
mov eax,dword ptr [i]
cmp eax,dword ptr [n] ; Compare i and n
jge final ; If is greater goes to 'final'
mov eax,dword ptr [o]
mov ecx,dword ptr [eax] ; Recover * o (its value)
push ecx ; Make push of * o (At the stack, its value)
call evaluarExpresion ; call evaluarExpresion( * o )
add esp,4 ; Recover memory from the stack (4KB corresponding to the * o pointer)
mov dword ptr [a],eax ; Save the result of evaluarExpresion as the value of a
mov eax,dword ptr [o] ; extract the pointer to o
add eax,4 ; increment the pointer by a factor of 4 (next of the actual pointed by *o)
mov dword ptr [o],eax ; o++
jmp ciclo1 ; repeat
final: ; for's final
mov eax,dword ptr [a] ; return a - it save the return value at the eax registry (by convention this is where the result must be stored)
}
}
Essentially in assembly languages, strictly speaking there isn't a notion of a loop the same way there would be in a higher level language. It's all implemented with jumps (eg. as a "goto"...)
That said, x86 has some instructions with the assumption that you'll be writing "loops", implicitly using the register ECX as a loop counter.
Some examples:
mov ecx, 5 ; ecx = 5
.label:
; Loop body code goes here
; ECX will start out as 5, then 4, then 3, then 1...
loop .label ; if (--ecx) goto .label;
Or:
jecxz .loop_end ; if (!ecx) goto .loop_end;
.loop_start:
; Loop body goes here
loop .loop_start ; if (--ecx) goto .loop_start;
.loop_end:
And, if you don't like this loop instruction thing counting backwards... You can write something like:
xor ecx, ecx ; ecx = 0
.loop_start:
cmp ecx, 5 ; do (ecx-5) discarding result, then set FLAGS
jz .loop_end ; if (ecx-5) was zero (eg. ecx == 5), jump to .loop_end
; Loop body goes here.
inc ecx ; ecx++
jmp .loop_start
.loop_end:
This would be closer to the typical for (int i=0; i<5; ++i) { }
Note that
for (init; cond; advance) {
...
}
is essentially syntactic sugar for
init;
while(cond) {
...
advance;
}
which should be easy enough to translate into assembly language if you've been paying any attention in class.
Use gcc to generate the assembly code
gcc -S -c sample.c
man gcc is your friend
For that you would probably use the loop instruction that decrements the ecx (often called, extended counter) at each loop and goes out when ecx reaches zero.But why use inline asm for it anyway? I'm pretty sure something as simple as that will be optimized correctly by the compiler...
(We say x86 architecture, because it's based on 80x86 computers, but it's an "ok" mistake =p)

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