Python - Setting / Getting Environment Variables and Addrs

Question

I need to set an environment variable in Python and find the address in memory where it is located. Since it's on Linux, I don't mind about using libraries that only work consistently on Linux (if that's the only way). How would you do this?

Edit: The scope of the problem is as follows: I'm trying to hack a program for class, and essentially I'm putting my shellcode into an environment variable and then overwriting one byte on the victim code with the address of my environment variable. I need to find a way to automate this in Python, so my question is two-fold:

• Is there a way to get the address in memory of an environment variable?

• Can this only be done in bash/C or can I do it purely in Python?

Answer 1

The built in function id() returns a unique id for any object, which just happens to be it's memory address.

http://docs.python.org/library/functions.html#id

Answer 2

For accessing and setting environment variables, read up on the os.environ dictionary. You can also use os.putenv to set an environment variable.

Answer 3

Pass the address itself in an environment variable, and just read it with os.getenv().