# Install execstack with Homebrew, dnf, apt, zypper Utility to set/clear/query executable stack bit. Version 20130503 via Homebrew; verified 2026-07-03. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:execstack ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install execstack ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata ### Linux - dnf (92%): ```sh sudo dnf install execstack ``` Evidence: Fedora Rawhide package metadata: execstack from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst - Ubuntu apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install execstack ``` Evidence: Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: execstack from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz - zypper (92%): ```sh sudo zypper install execstack ``` Evidence: openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: execstack from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:execstack - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 20130503 - **Source summary:** Utility to set/clear/query executable stack bit - **Homepage:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** GPL-2.0-or-later - **Source archive:** - **Last updated:** 2026-07-03T15:24:00-04:00 - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T18:08:21+00:00 ## Executables - execstack (cli) - execstack (alias) ## Dependencies - elfutils ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Bottle: available on arm64_linux, x86_64_linux ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 20130503 - Package-manager updated: 2026-07-03 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://people.redhat.com/jakub/prelink/ - info: Release/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories. ## Project history and usage execstack is a small ELF hardening utility from the prelink project. It exists to query, set, or clear the executable-stack requirement recorded in ELF program headers. ### Project history The tool belongs to the early-2000s Linux transition away from assuming that process stacks were executable. Jakub Jelinek's 2003 binutils work introduced PT_GNU_STACK so compilers, assemblers, and linkers could describe whether an executable stack was needed; execstack provided a post-link command-line way to inspect and override that metadata. The upstream prelink archive shows prelink tarballs beginning in 2001 and continuing through a 2013 snapshot. The execstack manual page was obtained from the prelink-20130503 tarball and dates the utility's documentation to October 2003. ### Adoption history execstack became a packaging and security-maintenance utility rather than a day-to-day application. It is most useful when a third-party ELF binary or shared object has incorrect PT_GNU_STACK markings and a packager needs to verify or clear them without rebuilding the original source. ### How it is used The common workflow is intentionally narrow: run execstack -q to report whether files require an executable stack, execstack -c to mark known-safe objects as not requiring one, or execstack -s for the rare case where a binary really needs executable stack support. ### Why package nerds care Package maintainers care about execstack because it sits at the boundary between compiler metadata, linker policy, and runtime hardening. A single bad executable-stack bit can change security posture, so a tiny utility remains useful even after prelink itself stopped being fashionable. ### Timeline - 2001: The prelink archive begins publishing source snapshots. - 2003: PT_GNU_STACK support is proposed for binutils. - 2003: execstack documentation describes querying and changing PT_GNU_STACK markings. - 2013: The prelink archive publishes a later source snapshot used by manual-page renderers. ### Related projects - execstack is tied to prelink, GNU binutils, GCC .note.GNU-stack metadata, and ELF dynamic-linker hardening behavior. ### Sources - - - ## Security Notes narrow executable package without higher-risk signals. - **Geiger risk:** green / low - narrow executable package without higher-risk signals ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** execstack - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 0 - **Requirements:** linux - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - Ubuntu apt - execstack - 0.0.20131005-1.1ubuntu1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: execstack from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | ELF GNU_STACK program header editing utility - dnf - execstack - 0.5.0-32.fc44: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: execstack from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | Utility to set/clear/query executable stack bit - zypper - execstack - 0.5.0-5.6: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: execstack from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst | Utility to set/clear/query executable stack bit | https://github.com/keszybz/prelink/archive ## Related links - [Terminal utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/terminal-utilities/) - Matched terminal and command-line workflow metadata. - [Networking and protocol packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/networking-protocol-tools/) - Matched network, protocol, or remote-service metadata. - [Database and data packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/database-data-tools/) - Matched database, SQL, migration, or data-store metadata. - [Security and crypto packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/security-crypto-tools/) - Matched security, identity, cryptography, password, signing, or certificate metadata. - [elfutils](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/elfutils/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [redress](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/redress/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: binary-analysis, cli, security. - [modsurfer](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/modsurfer/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: binary-analysis, cli, security. - [retdec](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/retdec/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: binary-analysis, cli, security. - [rizin](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/rizin/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: binary-analysis, cli, security. - [aide](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/aide/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, security. - [aircrack-ng](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/aircrack-ng/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, security. - [amass](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/amass/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, security. - [anubis](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/anubis/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, security. - [libcap-ng](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/libcap-ng/) - Security-sensitive metadata or terminology overlaps. Shared terms: cli, security. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/execstack.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/execstack.yml) ## Sources - Nucleus package database - Geiger risk classifier - package-page enrichment - curated package history - package version freshness - av.db category and tag curation - package relationship graph - external package-manager database matches - cross-ecosystem install command graph