getauxval - Linux

Overview

getauxval fetches the auxiliary vector (AT_AUX_VALUE) of the current process, providing information about the system and environment it runs in. It’s primarily used for debugging and introspection purposes and allows access to raw system information that cannot be obtained through other standard methods.

Syntax

getauxval [-h] [AUXVAL_KEY...]

Options/Flags

  • -h, –help: Display help information.
  • AUXVAL_KEY: One or more auxiliary vector key names, such as AT_PLATFORM, AT_PAGESZ, or AT_SYSINFO_EHDR.

Examples

Display the system information ELF header address:

getauxval AT_SYSINFO_EHDR

Print the list of available auxiliary vector keys:

getauxval -h

Common Issues

  • Key Not Found: If an invalid auxiliary vector key is specified, an error message will be displayed.

Integration

getauxval can be combined with other tools for advanced debugging and analysis tasks. For example:

# Print the ELF header address in hexadecimal
getauxval AT_SYSINFO_EHDR | xargs printf "%x\n"

Related Commands

  • man: Display manual pages for other commands.
  • procinfo: Show detailed information about the current process.
  • objdump: Examine and disassemble ELF binary files.