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Overview

Proone uses the GNU Autotools build system (autoconf/automake) to compile the worm and its associated tools. The build process generates executables for the host platform and can be configured for cross-compilation to target embedded devices.

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Prerequisites

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Required Dependencies

Before building Proone, ensure the following libraries and tools are installed:

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Core Libraries

  • pthread - POSIX threads library for multithreading support
  • rt - Real-time extensions (provides shm_open)
  • zlib - Compression library for binary archive
  • mbedtls (mbedcrypto, mbedx509, mbedtls) - TLS/SSL library for encrypted communications
  • libssh2 - SSH2 protocol library for SSH brute force vector
  • pthsem - GNU Portable Threads with semaphore support for cooperative multitasking

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Optional Dependencies (for Maintenance Tools)

Required only when building with --enable-mttools:
  • libyaml - YAML parser for configuration files
  • mariadb-connector-c - MariaDB client library for hostinfo daemon
  • mbedtls with threading support - mbedtls must be compiled with MBEDTLS_THREADING_C enabled

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Build Tools

  • autoconf - GNU Autoconf for configuration script generation
  • automake - GNU Automake for Makefile generation
  • gcc - GNU C compiler
  • xxd - Hexdump tool (part of vim-common)
  • sed - Stream editor for text processing
Refer to ~/workspace/source/doc/sws.md:328-337 for the complete dependency list.

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Build Process

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Step 1: Bootstrap the Build System

After cloning the repository or making changes to .ac or .am files, run the bootstrap script to initialize autotools: 
./bootstrap.sh
This script runs:
  • aclocal - Generate aclocal.m4
  • autoheader - Generate config header template
  • automake --add-missing --copy - Create Makefile templates
  • autoconf - Generate configure script
See ~/workspace/source/bootstrap.sh:13-16 for implementation details.

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Step 2: Configure the Build

Run the configure script to detect system capabilities and set up the build: 
./configure [OPTIONS]
The configure script will:
  • Detect the C compiler and build tools
  • Check for required libraries
  • Generate src/config_gen.h with build configuration
  • Create Makefiles for building
See the Configuration Options page for available configure flags.

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Step 3: Compile

Build the project using make: 
make -j$(nproc)
This compiles:
  • proone.bin - Core worm executable (ELF part only, not runnable standalone)
  • proone - Complete executable with DVault appended
  • Build tools (when --enable-mttools is used)

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Step 4: Build Data Vault and Credential Dictionary

Generate the required binary data files: 
# Build credential dictionary
cd src
./proone-mkcdict proone_conf/cred_dict.txt cred_dict.bin

# Build data vault
./proone-mkdvault cred_dict.bin > dvault.bin
The data vault (DVault) contains masked sensitive data like:
  • CNC TXT record domains
  • Credential dictionary for brute force attacks
  • Network targeting configuration

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Build Outputs

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Executables

After building, executables are located in the src/ directory:

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Core Executable

  • src/proone.bin - ELF executable (requires DVault and BA to run)
  • src/proone - Complete executable with DVault

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Testing Tools

  • proone-recon - Standalone recon worker for testing
  • proone-resolv - Standalone DNS resolver testing tool
  • proone-htbthost - Standalone heartbeat worker for testing
  • proone-bne - Standalone break-and-enter tool
  • proone-stress - CPU stress testing tool
  • proone-test_proto - Protocol test suite
  • proone-test_util - Utility function test suite

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Build Tools

  • proone-pack - Binary archive build tool
  • proone-mkcdict - Credential dictionary builder
  • proone-mkdvault - Data vault builder
  • proone-list-arch - Architecture listing tool
  • proone-ipaddr-arr - IP address to C array converter

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Maintenance Tools (with —enable-mttools)

  • proone-hostinfod - Hostinfo daemon (authoritative heartbeat server)
  • proone-htbtclient - Heartbeat client for instance maintenance
See ~/workspace/source/doc/sws.md:360-382 for complete executable list.

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Basic Build Example

For a standard debug build: 
# Bootstrap autotools
./bootstrap.sh

# Configure with debug flags
./configure --enable-debug

# Build
make -j$(nproc)

# Generate data files
cd src
./proone-mkcdict proone_conf/cred_dict.txt cred_dict.bin
./proone-mkdvault cred_dict.bin > dvault.bin

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Production Build Example

For an optimized production build with static linking: 
./bootstrap.sh
./configure --enable-static
make -j$(nproc)
cd src
./proone-mkcdict proone_conf/cred_dict.txt cred_dict.bin
./proone-mkdvault cred_dict.bin > dvault.bin

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Cleaning Up

To clean build artifacts: 
# Remove compiled objects and executables
make clean

# Remove all generated files (including configure)
make distclean

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Troubleshooting

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Library Not Found Errors

If configure fails with library errors like “mbedtls not found” or “pthsem not found”:
  1. Install the missing library through your package manager
  2. If installed in a non-standard location, set LDFLAGS and CPPFLAGS:
./configure LDFLAGS="-L/usr/local/lib" CPPFLAGS="-I/usr/local/include"

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Threading Support Error

When building maintenance tools, if you encounter “mbedtls not compiled with threading support”:
  1. Rebuild mbedtls with threading enabled
  2. Ensure MBEDTLS_THREADING_C is defined in mbedtls config
See ~/workspace/source/configure.ac:129-139 for the threading check.

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Missing Build Tools

If configure reports missing xxd or sed: 
# On Debian/Ubuntu
sudo apt-get install vim-common sed

# On RHEL/CentOS
sudo yum install vim-common sed

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Next Steps

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