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Flare bytecode graph

From mandiant·Updated October 28, 2025·View on GitHub·
·Archived

Module designed to modify Python bytecode. Allows instructions to be added or removed from a Python bytecode string. The modified bytecode can be refactored to correct offsets and produce a new functional code object. The project is written primarily in Python, distributed under the Apache License 2.0 license, first published in 2016. Key topics include: fireeye-flare.

bytecode_graph

Module designed to modify Python bytecode.
Allows instructions to be added or removed from a Python bytecode string. The modified bytecode can be refactored to correct offsets and produce a new functional code object.

You should use the same Python interpretor version as the bytecode being analyzed.

Example - Inserting NOP instructions

The following example inserts a NOP instruction after each instruction in the Sample function:

python
import bytecode_graph from dis import opmap def Sample(): i = 2 + 2 if i == 4: print "2 + 2 = %d" % i else: print "oops" print bytecode_graph.disassemble(Sample.__code__) print bcg = bytecode_graph.BytecodeGraph(Sample.__code__) nodes = [x for x in bcg.nodes()] for n in nodes: bc = bytecode_graph.Bytecode(0, chr(opmap['NOP'])) bcg.add_node(n, bc) new_code = bcg.get_code() print bytecode_graph.disassemble(new_code) print exec new_code nodes = [x for x in bcg.nodes()] for n in nodes: if n.opcode == opmap['NOP']: bcg.delete_node(n) new_code = bcg.get_code() print bytecode_graph.disassemble(new_code) exec new_code

Disassembly of Sample():

          0 640500  LOAD_CONST          5 (4)
          3 7d0000  STORE_FAST          0 (i)
          6 7c0000  LOAD_FAST           0 (i)
          9 640200  LOAD_CONST          2 (4)
         12 6b0200  COMPARE_OP          2 (==)
         15 721e00  POP_JUMP_IF_FALSE    30
         18 640300  LOAD_CONST          3 ('2 + 2 = %d')
         21 7c0000  LOAD_FAST           0 (i)
         24 16      BINARY_MODULO  
         25 47      PRINT_ITEM     
         26 48      PRINT_NEWLINE  
         27 6e0500  JUMP_FORWARD        5 (to 35)
    >>   30 640400  LOAD_CONST          4 ('oops')
         33 47      PRINT_ITEM     
         34 48      PRINT_NEWLINE  
    >>   35 640000  LOAD_CONST          0 (None)
         38 53      RETURN_VALUE   

Disassembly of Sample() with NOPs:

          0 640500  LOAD_CONST          5 (4)
          3 09      NOP            
          4 7d0000  STORE_FAST          0 (i)
          7 09      NOP            
          8 7c0000  LOAD_FAST           0 (i)
         11 09      NOP            
         12 640200  LOAD_CONST          2 (4)
         15 09      NOP            
         16 6b0200  COMPARE_OP          2 (==)
         19 09      NOP            
         20 722a00  POP_JUMP_IF_FALSE    42
         23 09      NOP            
         24 640300  LOAD_CONST          3 ('2 + 2 = %d')
         27 09      NOP            
         28 7c0000  LOAD_FAST           0 (i)
         31 09      NOP            
         32 16      BINARY_MODULO  
         33 09      NOP            
         34 47      PRINT_ITEM     
         35 09      NOP            
         36 48      PRINT_NEWLINE  
         37 09      NOP            
         38 6e0900  JUMP_FORWARD        9 (to 50)
         41 09      NOP            
    >>   42 640400  LOAD_CONST          4 ('oops')
         45 09      NOP            
         46 47      PRINT_ITEM     
         47 09      NOP            
         48 48      PRINT_NEWLINE  
         49 09      NOP            
    >>   50 640000  LOAD_CONST          0 (None)
         53 09      NOP            
         54 53      RETURN_VALUE   
         55 09      NOP    

Output of running modified code object:

2 + 2 = 4

To remove the NOPs append the following to the above example:

python
nodes = [x for x in bcg.nodes()] for n in nodes: #verify opcode is NOP if n.opcode == opmap['NOP']: #remove instruction node from the graph bcg.delete_node(n) #create a new code object new_code = bcg.get_code() bytecode_graph.disassemble(new_code) exec new_code

To load code from a PYC file:

python
import bytecode_graph from dis import opmap import sys import marshal pyc_file = open(sys.argv[1], "rb").read() pyc = marshal.loads(pyc_file[8:]) bytecode_graph.disassemble(pyc) print bcg = bytecode_graph.BytecodeGraph(pyc) nodes = [x for x in bcg.nodes()] for n in nodes: bc = bytecode_graph.Bytecode(0, chr(opmap['NOP'])) bcg.add_node(n, bc) new_code = bcg.get_code() bytecode_graph.disassemble(new_code) print nodes = [x for x in bcg.nodes()] for n in nodes: if n.opcode == opmap['NOP']: bcg.delete_node(n) new_code = bcg.get_code() bytecode_graph.disassemble(new_code) print

It is also possible to create control flow diagrams using GraphViz. The disassembly within the graph can include the output from a simple peephole decompiler. This can be helpful when reviewing bytecode that fails to decompile.

python
import bytecode_graph def Sample(): i = 2 + 2 if i == 4: print "2 + 2 = %d" % i else: print "oops" bcg = bytecode_graph.BytecodeGraph(Sample.__code__) graph = bytecode_graph.Render(bcg, Sample.__code__).dot() graph.write_png('example_graph.png')

Example_Graph

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This article is auto-generated from mandiant/flare-bytecode_graph via the GitHub API.Last fetched: 6/23/2026