How to use the command 'strings' (with examples)

The ‘strings’ command is a utility that allows users to find printable strings in an object file or binary. It can be helpful in analyzing binary files by extracting and displaying all readable text found within them.

Use case 1: Print all strings in a binary

Code:

strings path/to/file

Motivation: When working with a binary file, it can be useful to extract and view all the printable strings within it. This can help in understanding the file’s contents or identifying any potential vulnerabilities.

Explanation: In this use case, the ‘strings’ command is used without any additional options. By providing the path to the binary file as an argument, it will print all the strings found within it.

Example output:

Hello World!
This is a sample string.
2021-01-01
...

Use case 2: Limit results to strings at least n characters long

Code:

strings -n n path/to/file

Motivation: In some situations, it might be necessary to filter out short strings and focus only on longer strings within a binary file. This can help in searching for specific patterns or important pieces of information.

Explanation: By using the ‘-n’ option followed by the desired minimum length ’n’, the ‘strings’ command will only display strings that are at least ’n’ characters long.

Example output:

This is a sample string.

Use case 3: Prefix each result with its offset within the file

Code:

strings -t d path/to/file

Motivation: When analyzing a binary file, it can be valuable to know the exact offset within the file where each string is found. This information can provide insights into the structure and organization of the file.

Explanation: By adding the ‘-t d’ option, the ‘strings’ command will prefix each printed string with its offset within the file as a decimal number.

Example output:

10: Hello World!
20: This is a sample string.
30: 2021-01-01
...

Use case 4: Prefix each result with its offset within the file in hexadecimal

Code:

strings -t x path/to/file

Motivation: Similar to the previous use case, prefixing each string with its offset within the file can be helpful. However, displaying the offset in hexadecimal format can be beneficial in certain contexts, especially when working with low-level programming or analyzing memory dumps.

Explanation: By using the ‘-t x’ option, the ‘strings’ command will prefix each printed string with its offset within the file as a hexadecimal number.

Example output:

0xA: Hello World!
0x14: This is a sample string.
0x1E: 2021-01-01
...

Conclusion

The ‘strings’ command is a versatile tool for extracting and displaying printable strings from binary files. It provides various options to customize the output, such as filtering by length and including the offset within the file. By understanding and utilizing these different use cases, users can gain valuable insights into the contents and structure of binary files.