[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Re: Reverse Engineer



-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----

An entity claiming to be Jerome Tan wrote:
: 
: What do you mean by "reverse engineer?" I have heard this word several =
: times especially in the world of hacking, but... can someone tell me =
: what it really meant?
: 

Reverse engineering is the process of taking a piece of executable code,
be it a Win95 program or firmware for a cellular phone eeprom, and
running it through a disassembler.  The disassembler converts the
machine code into assembly instructions.  From there, a person with
a lot of spare time, a good understanding of compiler design, and a lot
of caffeine can translate the assembly instructions into a higher level
language (ie. C, C++, VisualBasic).  The first part is easy (and writing
a disassembler is a good project for upper-level Comp Sci courses), but
the second part is a real bear and people with the knowledge and 
drive to do it have my respect.

- -- 
    Mark Rogaski   | Why read when you can just sit and |      Member
  GTI System Admin |         stare at things?           | Programmers Local
  [email protected]  | Any expressed opinions are my own  |     # 0xfffe
 [email protected] | unless they can get me in trouble. |     APL-CPIO


-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: 2.6.2

iQCVAwUBMe+p8g0HmAyu61cJAQEyFAQAq+zOnHz6ZV+dtKZ08hSXkoLMEsteJXP3
NPnYRmfnGf+Xtl9GJaewMqYbXIbGTYePDlAqXw0Oxa3AI4+vtyQAe1u4PbqUdqHq
rgvqW9xYnR41U3eFAgp1WjINAZa5am6C1CpQxwI6oETmF8S6uMtJpBQxpYMKBUSA
8NhOKhQfuaE=
=+ZvY
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----