
[](https://pypi.org/project/dncil)
[](https://github.com/mandiant/dncil/releases)
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[](https://pepy.tech/project/dncil)
[](LICENSE.txt)
`dncil` is a Common Intermediate Language (`CIL`) disassembly library written in Python that supports parsing the header, instructions, and exception handlers of `.NET` managed methods. Parsed data is exposed through an object-oriented API to help you quickly develop `CIL` analysis tools using `dncil`.
Why `Python`? Existing libraries that support `CIL` disassembly, like [`dnLib`](https://github.com/0xd4d/dnlib), are written in `C#`. To leverage these tools, you must build `C#` applications which requires `C#` development experience. Using `dncil`, a pure `Python` alternative, you:
1. Do not need `C#` experience to analyze `CIL` programmatically.
2. Can quickly develop and test your `CIL` analysis tools.
3. Can easily integrate your `CIL` analysis tools with existing `Python` projects.
## Example
The example script [`print_cil_from_dn_file.py`](scripts/print_cil_from_dn_file.py) uses `dncil` together with `.NET` analysis library [`dnfile`](https://github.com/malwarefrank/dnfile) to disassemble the managed methods found in a `.NET` executable. Let's see what it can do.
First, we compile the following `C#` source code:
```C#
using System;
public class HelloWorld
{
public static void Main(string[] args)
{
Console.WriteLine ("Hello World!");
}
}
```
Compilation results in a `PE` executable containing `.NET` metadata which informs the `Common Language Runtime` (`CLR`) how to execute our code. We use `dnfile` to parse this metadata which gives us the offset of our managed method `Main`. We then use `dncil` to disassemble and display the `CIL` instructions stored at this location.
Let's see the above in action:
```
$ python scripts/print_cil_from_dn_file.py hello-world.exe
Method: Main
0000 00 nop
0001 72 01 00 00 70 ldstr "Hello World!"
0006 28 04 00 00 0a call System.Console::WriteLine
000B 00 nop
000C 2a ret
```
Our method `Main` is represented by the [`CilMethodBody`](dncil/cil/body/__init__.py) class. This class holds data that includes the header, `CIL` instructions, and exception handlers of a given managed method. It also exposes various helper functions:
```Python
> main_method_body.flags
SmallFormat : false
TinyFormat : false
FatFormat : false
TinyFormat1 : true
MoreSects : false
InitLocals : false
CompressedIL : false
> main_method_body.size
14
> hexdump.hexdump(main_method_body.get_bytes())
00000000: 36 00 72 01 00 00 70 28 04 00 00 0A 00 2A 6.r...p(.....*
> hexdump.hexdump(main_method_body.get_header_bytes())
00000000: 36 6
> hexdump.hexdump(main_method_body.get_instruction_bytes())
00000000: 00 72 01 00 00 70 28 04 00 00 0A 00 2A .r...p(.....*
```
Each `CIL` instruction found in our managed method `Main` is represented by the [`Instruction`](dncil/cil/instruction.py) class. This class holds data that includes the offset, mnemonic, opcode, and operand of a given `CIL` instruction. It also exposes various helper functions:
```Python
> len(main_method_body.instructions)
5
> insn = main_method_body.instructions[1]
> insn.offset
1
> insn.mnemonic
'ldstr'
> insn.operand
token(0x70000001)
> insn.is_ldstr()
True
> insn.size
5
> hexdump.hexdump(insn.get_bytes())
00000000: 72 01 00 00 70 r...p
> hexdump.hexdump(insn.get_opcode_bytes())
00000000: 72 r
> hexdump.hexdump(insn.get_operand_bytes())
00000000: 01 00 00 70 ...p
```
## Installing
To install `dncil` use `pip` to fetch the `dncil` module:
```
$ pip install dncil
```
To execute the example scripts be sure to install [`dnfile`](https://github.com/malwarefrank/dnfile). Alternatively, install `dncil` with the development dependencies as described in the `Development` section below.
See [print_cil_from_bytes.py](scripts/print_cil_from_bytes.py) for a quick example of using `dncil`to print the `CIL` instructions found in a byte stream containing a `.NET` managed method.
## Development
If you'd like to review and modify `dncil` source code, you'll need to download it from GitHub and install it locally.
Use the following command to install `dncil` locally with development dependencies:
```
$ pip install /local/path/to/src[dev]
```
You'll need `dncil`'s development dependencies to run tests and linting as described below.
### Testing
Use the following command to run tests:
```
$ pytest /local/path/to/src/tests
```
### Linting
Use the following commands to identify format errors:
```
$ black -l 120 -c /local/path/to/src
$ isort --profile black --length-sort --line-width 120 -c /local/path/to/src
$ mypy --config-file /local/path/to/src/.github/mypy/mypy.ini /local/path/to/src/dncil/ /local/path/to/src/scripts/ /local/path/to/src/tests/
```
## Credits
`dncil` is based on the `CIL` parsing code found in [`dnLib`](https://github.com/0xd4d/dnlib).