# A gentle introduction to Linux Kernel fuzzing

DevFeed: [A gentle introduction to Linux Kernel fuzzing](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/a-gentle-introduction-to-linux-kernel-fuzzing-38986.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://idea.popcount.org/2019-07-10-a-gentle-introduction-to-linux-kernel-fuzzing>)

Author: Marek

Published: 2019-07-09T22:00:00Z

Content type: tutorial

Language: en

Sources: [Marek Majkowski](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/marek-majkowski.md>)

Topics: [Fuzzing/Fuzz testing](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/fuzzing.md>), [Linux Kernel](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/linux-kernel.md>), [Kernel](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/kernel.md>), [Testing](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/testing.md>), [networking](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/networking.md>), [virtualization](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/virtualization.md>)

Tags: [c](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/c.md>), [c-plus-plus](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/c-plus-plus.md>), [coverage](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/coverage.md>), [fuzzing](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/fuzzing.md>), [kernel](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/kernel.md>), [kvm](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/kvm.md>), [linux](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/linux.md>), [linux-kernel](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/linux-kernel.md>), [security](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/security.md>), [testing](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/testing.md>)

## AI overview

A tutorial on coverage-guided fuzzing of the Linux Kernel's netlink machinery. It explains how to use AFL with a custom kernel and a netlink shim inside KVM virtualization to explore kernel internals and find bugs.

## Source excerpt

A gentle introduction to Linux Kernel fuzzing This article was first published on Cloudflare blog: For some time I've wanted to play with coverage-guided fuzzing. Fuzzing is a powerful testing technique where an automated program feeds semi-random inputs to a tested program. The intention is to find such inputs that trigger bugs. Fuzzing is especially useful in finding memory corruption bugs in C or C++ programs.