Identifier / Programs / Linux and Unix
uuencode
Encode binary files into ASCII for transport via mediums that only support simple ASCII encoding. tldr-pages
GTFOBins file-read 1 documented command
How uuencode is abused
file-read
Each abuse is GTFOBins's category and the options and words it uses; the full write-up is on GTFOBins's page for uuencode.
1 documented command
file-read unprivileged, with sudo, as SUID
uuencode /path/to/input-file /dev/stdout | uudecodeThe command the identifier reads trips no Sigma process-creation rule. This command is from GTFOBins, at commit acd524623f9c of 2026-05-27, under the GPL-3.0, with no warranty. Changed: Markdown is shown formatted. The source is in lolbas-gtfobins-commands.json.gz, and the full entry is on GTFOBins’s page for uuencode. The identifier reads the line that runs uuencode.
Everyday use
Encode a file and print the result to stdout
uuencode path/to/input_file output_file_name_after_decodingIdentifyEncode a file and write the result to a file
uuencode -o path/to/output_file path/to/input_file output_file_name_after_decodingIdentifyEncode a file using Base64 instead of the default uuencode encoding and write the result to a file
uuencode --base64 -o path/to/output_file path/to/input_file output_file_name_after_decodingIdentifyNone of the 3 examples the identifier reads matches GTFOBins abuse or trips a Sigma process-creation rule.
Options
Show every option of uuencode
-mBase64