How to install picoscope in Kali Linux

Import public key

sudo bash -c 'wget -O- https://labs.picotech.com/Release.gpg.key | gpg --dearmor > /usr/share/keyrings/picotech-archive-keyring.gpg'

Configure your system repository

sudo bash -c 'echo "deb [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/picotech-archive-keyring.gpg] https://labs.picotech.com/picoscope7/debian/ picoscope main" >/etc/apt/sources.list.d/picoscope7.list'

Update package manager cache

sudo apt-get update

Install PicoScope

sudo apt-get install picoscope

Run picoscope

picoscope

When you run picoscope you get the following error

Issue: The library libpicocv.so.1.0.0 has the flag execstack. That’s a kernel/loader security restriction → the binary has an execstack flag set, and Kali (being hardened) blocks it.

SOLUTION:

Create the file execstack.c

/*
 * Minimal execstack tool
 * Allows clearing/setting executable stack flag on ELF binaries
 */

#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <unistd.h>
#include <fcntl.h>
#include <string.h>
#include <errno.h>
#include <elf.h>
#include <sys/mman.h>
#include <sys/stat.h>

static void usage(const char *prog) {
    fprintf(stderr, "Usage: %s [-q|-s|-c] file...\n", prog);
    fprintf(stderr, "  -q   Query execstack flag\n");
    fprintf(stderr, "  -s   Set execstack flag\n");
    fprintf(stderr, "  -c   Clear execstack flag\n");
    exit(1);
}

int main(int argc, char **argv) {
    int action = 0;
    int opt;

    while ((opt = getopt(argc, argv, "qsc")) != -1) {
        switch (opt) {
            case 'q': action = 'q'; break;
            case 's': action = 's'; break;
            case 'c': action = 'c'; break;
            default: usage(argv[0]);
        }
    }

    if (optind >= argc) usage(argv[0]);

    for (int i = optind; i < argc; i++) {
        const char *fname = argv[i];
        int fd = open(fname, O_RDWR);
        if (fd < 0) {
            perror("open");
            continue;
        }

        struct stat st;
        if (fstat(fd, &st) < 0) {
            perror("fstat");
            close(fd);
            continue;
        }

        void *map = mmap(NULL, st.st_size, PROT_READ|PROT_WRITE, MAP_SHARED, fd, 0);
        if (map == MAP_FAILED) {
            perror("mmap");
            close(fd);
            continue;
        }

        Elf64_Ehdr *eh = (Elf64_Ehdr *)map;
        if (memcmp(eh->e_ident, ELFMAG, SELFMAG) != 0) {
            fprintf(stderr, "%s: not an ELF file\n", fname);
            munmap(map, st.st_size);
            close(fd);
            continue;
        }

        // Program headers
        Elf64_Phdr *ph = (Elf64_Phdr *)((char *)map + eh->e_phoff);
        int found = 0;
        for (int j = 0; j < eh->e_phnum; j++) {
            if (ph[j].p_type == PT_GNU_STACK) {
                found = 1;
                if (action == 'q') {
                    printf("%s: %c\n", fname,
                        (ph[j].p_flags & PF_X) ? 'X' : '-');
                } else if (action == 's') {
                    ph[j].p_flags |= PF_X;
                } else if (action == 'c') {
                    ph[j].p_flags &= ~PF_X;
                }
            }
        }
        if (!found) {
            fprintf(stderr, "%s: no PT_GNU_STACK segment\n", fname);
        }

        munmap(map, st.st_size);
        close(fd);
    }

    return 0;
}

Compile

gcc -Wall -o execstack execstack.c

Move to bin path

sudo mv execstack /usr/local/bin/

Query

sudo execstack -q /opt/picoscope/lib/libpicocv.so.1.0.0

Clear execstack

sudo execstack -c /opt/picoscope/lib/libpicocv.so.1.0.0

And finally run picoscope

sudo picoscope

Linux tips:

LD_DEBUG=help command
apt search
sym link: ln -s /path/to/existing/file_or_directory /path/to/symlink
ldd program (to discover missing libraries)
prelink
execstack
move to /usr/local/bin/ (binary global access)
gcc -Wall (show extra warnings)

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About the Author

Danilo Erazo

Administrator

Danilo Erazo is an Independent Automotive Security Researcher and Bug Hunter from Ecuador, with experience in developing electronic devices, pentesting, software development, reverse engineering and hardware hacking. He has reported critical vulnerabilities to Huawei, KIA Corporation, KIA Ecuador, Realtek Semiconductor Corp and many Latin American Banks. He holds multiple practical certifications in cybersecurity and computer networks, such as OSWP, CEH, CBP, CCSP, CPAZ, CNSP, CAP, CPNA, CCNA, API Security for Connected Cars and Fleets, Practical Junior IoT Tester (PJIT). He is part of the DEFCON CHV. Danilo is the organizer of the Car Hacking Villa at Ekoparty, the founder of the conference PWNORDIE in Ecuador. He has been a speaker at DEFCON33, DEFCON32, Recon 2025, Hardwear USA 2025, Ekoparty 2023, 2024, Bsides Colombia 2024, 2025, etc. He also shares content about Hardware Hacking and Pentesting in his YouTube Channel @revers3everything

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