From: Mark Rogaski <wendigo@pobox.com>
Date: Sat, 20 Jul 1996 04:10:13 +0800
To: jti@i-manila.com.ph (Jerome Tan)
Subject: Re: Reverse Engineer
In-Reply-To: <01BB752B.7DCF4600@ip65.i-manila.com.ph>
Message-ID: <199607191530.LAA13859@apollo.gti.net>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text


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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
  wendigo@gti.net  | Any expressed opinions are my own  |     # 0xfffe
 wendigo@pobox.com | unless they can get me in trouble. |     APL-CPIO


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