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Code and hardcoded strings are not intermingled in x86 or x86-64 ELF binaries. When the compiler toolchain generates a binary, hardcoded strings are placed in a separate area of the binary from the executable code and are referenced/accessed by their virtual memory address. Here is a diagram of the how different sections are laid out in ELF binaries:

Code and hardcoded strings are not intermingled in x86 or x86-64 ELF binaries. When the compiler toolchain generates a binary, hardcoded strings are placed in a separate area of the binary from the executable code and are referenced/accessed by their virtual memory address. Here is a diagram by Ange Albertini of the how different sections are laid out in ELF binaries:

As we can see from these visualizations, these binaries are organized in a similar fashion. Each binary has discrete areas, or sections, which contain different information.

As we can see from these visualizations, these binaries are organized in a similar fashion. Each binary has discrete areas, or sections, which contain different information. We can also see here that there are multiple areas (i.e. sections) containing ASCII string data, not just one.

To make this more clear, below are visualizations of the Linux utilities ls, cat, mkdir and mv (accomplished via binvis.io). The solid blue areas consist of ASCII string data (the .rodata section, for example), and the large blocks of blue, white, red and black mixed together are regions that consist of executable code (the .text section).

In ELF binaries, the .text section holds the executable instructions of the program. The bytes the instructions are composed of are treated as ASCII, so there are meaningless sequences of characters being printed.

To make this more clear, below are visualizations of the Linux utilities ls, cat, mkdir and mv (accomplished via binvis.io). The solid blue areas consist of ASCII string data (the .rodata section, for example), and the large blocks of blue, white, red and black mixed together are regions that consist of executable code (the .text section, for example).

In ELF binaries, the .text section holds the executable instructions of the program. The bytes the instructions are composed of are being treated as ASCII in this hexdump, so there are meaningless sequences of characters being printed.