Reversing Hackers Gde Reverse Engineerin

Beginning with a basic primer on reverse engineering—including computer internals, operating systems, and assembly language—this book covers the applications and practical techniques of software reverse engineering. It shows how disassembly can reveal design and implementation details, sometimes even source code, to identify weak spots for security improvement, neutralize malware, and understand how programs work to build better ones. Topics include reading compiler-generated IA-32 assembly, decoding undocumented file formats and network protocols, and exploring reverse engineering on the .NET platform with MSIL. The work also discusses legal considerations, the use of reversing to defeat copy protection, and how attackers exploit these techniques, with real-world examples of malicious software analysis. A companion website provides a complete list of sample programs and links to papers and related materials. The book is structured in two parts: security-oriented reverse engineering and more practical, hands-on aspects, including reverse engineering third-party libraries and competing software to improve products.

The author explains how to reverse engineer a third-party library to improve interfacing and how to study a competitor’s software to build a better product, making this a practical guide for developers seeking to plug security holes, speed development, and deepen understanding of software behavior. It also offers a primer on advanced reverse engineering—disassembly and code-level analysis—helping readers decipher assembly language.

Features

• Primer on reverse engineering
• Covers IA-32 assembly and MSIL
• Two-part structure: security then practical
• Real-world malware dissection examples
• Legal considerations and copy-protection implications
• Companion website with samples and papers