Press releases

Gray Hat Python--New from No Starch Press: A Guide to Python for Hackers and Reverse Engineers

Press release: April 21, 2009

Gray Hat Python San Francisco, CA, April 21, 2009—Python is fast becoming the programming language of choice for hackers, reverse engineers, and software testers because it's easy to write quickly and has the low-level support and libraries that make hackers happy. But until now, there has been no book explaining how to use Python for security-related tasks. Programmers had to dig through forum posts and man pages, endlessly tweaking their own code to get everything working. Not anymore.

Gray Hat Python (No Starch Press, April 2009, 216 pp, $39.95, ISBN 9781593271923) explains the theory behind Python-based debuggers, trojans, fuzzers, and emulators. In addition, readers get hands-on advice for using PyDbg, Immunity Debugger, Sulley, IDAPython, and PyEmu. Security researcher and author Justin Seitz shows readers how to push these security tools to their limits—and how to build new ones when the pre-built tools won't cut it.

Readers learn how to automate tedious reversing and security tasks, design and program their own debuggers, fuzz Windows drivers, and create powerful fuzzers from scratch. They'll also learn how to employ code and library injection, use soft and hard hooking techniques, and even explore how to sniff traffic in an encrypted web browser session.

"I've seen tremendous interest in this title at recent security conferences," said No Starch Press founder Bill Pollock. "I think we've hit the sweet spot. Seitz shows just how powerful Python is when it comes to hacking, reverse engineering, malware analysis, and software testing."

Some of the world's best hackers are using Python to do their handiwork. Gray Hat Python teaches readers how to do the same.

For more information, to schedule an interview, or for a review copy of Gray Hat Python, please contact Travis Peterson at No Starch Press (nostarchpr@oreilly.com, +1.415.863.9900, x300), or visit www.nostarch.com.

About the Author
Justin Seitz is a Senior Security Researcher for Immunity, Inc., where he spends his time bug hunting, reverse engineering, writing exploits, and coding Python.

Additional Resources
Chapter 2: "Debuggers and Debugger Design" and Chapter 4: "PyDbg: A Pure Python Windows Debugger" (PDF)
Table of contents overview
Detailed table of contents (PDF)
Index (PDF)
Large cover image

Gray Hat Python Gray Hat Python
by Justin Seitz
April 2009, 216 pp
ISBN 9781593271831, $39.95 USD
order@oreilly.com
1-800-998-9938
1-707-827-7000

Available in fine bookstores everywhere, from www.oreilly.com/nostarch, or directly from No Starch Press (http://www.nostarch.com, orders@nostarch.com, 1-800-420-7240).

About No Starch Press
Founded in 1994, No Starch Press is one of the few remaining independent technical book publishers. We publish the finest in geek entertainment—unique books on technology, with a focus on Open Source, security, hacking, programming, alternative operating systems, and LEGO. Our titles have personality, our authors are passionate, and our books tackle topics that people care about. See http://www.nostarch.com/ for a complete catalog. (And most No Starch Press books use RepKover, a lay-flat binding that won't snap shut.)

About O’Reilly

O’Reilly Media spreads the knowledge of innovators through its books, online services, magazines, and conferences. Since 1978, O’Reilly Media has been a chronicler and catalyst of cutting-edge development, homing in on the technology trends that really matter and spurring their adoption by amplifying “faint signals” from the alpha geeks who are creating the future. An active participant in the technology community, the company has a long history of advocacy, meme-making, and evangelism.

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