Pin - Instrumentation Tool

Pin is a dynamic binary instrumentation tool that enables the creation of dynamic program analysis tools.

Instrumentation is performed directly on the binary code, which makes it independent of the source code;
All executed code is generated by the Pin tool - original code is not executed;
Pin operates by applying a tool to the binary code of an application;
- A tool is a user-developed dynamic library containing functions that perform the desired analysis;
Instrumentation is performed once by registered callback functions that are invoked as code elements of the application program are translated (e.g., individual instructions, basic clocks, routines, libraries).

Structure of a Pin Tool

A Pin tool file (implemented in C++) has the following structure:

Global Variables - used to store information that is shared among the callback functions;
Command Line Options - used to specify the arguments that the tool will receive - KNOBS (Key Name Option Based System);
Usage Function - prints the tool's usage;
Analysis Functions - functions that perform the desired analysis - update global variables;
Instrumentation Functions - functions that insert analysis code into the application code;

To use a Pin tool, the following steps are required:

Initialize Pin - PIN_Init(argc, argv);
Check Command Line Arguments - PIN_InitSymbols();;
Register Instrumentation Functions - INS_AddInstrumentFunction(Instruction, 0);;
Register Finishing Function - PIN_AddFiniFunction(Fini, 0);;
Start Pin - PIN_StartProgram();.

Useful command line commands: