How to convert hex encoded bytes to String in Python3?

Question

I read some value from Windows Registry (SAM) with Python3. As far as I can tell it looks like hex encoded bytes:

    >>> b = b'A\x00d\x00m\x00i\x00n\x00i\x00s\x00t\x00r\x00a\x00t\x00o\x00r\x00'
    >>> print(b)
    A d m i n i s t r a t o r

Now how would I convert that to a String (should be "Administrator")? Using "print" just gives me "A d m i n i s t r a t o r". How to do the conversion correctly without using dirty tricks?

0x01h · Accepted Answer · 2019-07-09 09:19:19Z

1

b = b'A\x00d\x00m\x00i\x00n\x00i\x00s\x00t\x00r\x00a\x00t\x00o\x00r\x00'
b = b.replace(b'\x00', b'')
print(b)
# b'Administrator'

answered Jul 9, 2019 at 9:19

0x01h

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2 Comments

jalu Over a year ago

Sure it works, but is this the proper way to do it?

0x01h Over a year ago

Every string in ASCII ends at a NULL ('\x00'). You need to get rid of them.

jalu · Accepted Answer · 2019-07-09 11:12:18Z

0

I propably should have used utf-16 decoding:

    >>> b = b'A\x00d\x00m\x00i\x00n\x00i\x00s\x00t\x00r\x00a\x00t\x00o\x00r\x00'
    >>> print(b.decode('utf-16'))
    Administrator

SORRY!

answered Jul 9, 2019 at 11:12

jalu

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