You must ensure the architecture (x86 vs x64) of your shellcode matches the target process you are injecting into. Step-by-Step Guide with Donut If you want the most reliable result, follow these steps: Prepare your EXE: Ensure it is a standalone executable.
Shellcode is often injected into small memory buffers. Large EXEs may not fit. convert exe to shellcode
For very simple, self-contained programs written in C or Assembly, you can extract the .text section directly. You must ensure the architecture (x86 vs x64)
There are several ways to approach this conversion, ranging from automated tools to manual extraction. 1. Using Donut Large EXEs may not fit
Compile your code with all optimizations off and no external dependencies. Use a tool like objcopy or a Hex Editor to copy the bytes from the executable's code section.
Many exploits fail if the shellcode contains null bytes ( 0x00 ), as they act as string terminators. You may need to encode your shellcode using tools like Shikata Ga Nai .
A standard Windows EXE file relies on the Portable Executable (PE) format. This format includes headers, section tables, and import address tables (IAT) that tell the Windows Loader how to map the file into memory and resolve dependencies like kernel32.dll .