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Thread: understandin code of .exe files

  1. #1
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    understandin code of .exe files

    Hi,
    I want to be able to understand what an .exe files does,and i want to learn to edit them if needed.Does anyone here have any resources about this they'd like to share?

  2. #2
    http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/E/executable_file.html

    If you want to edit a program... Best way is to get the source, edit the source, and compile it. If you don't have the source, you SOL, unless you disassemble it or decompile it... I'm not sure which. Isn't practical with large programs.

  3. #3
    Leftie Linux Lover the_JinX's Avatar
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    hey there little cracker..

    there are more a couple of possibilities

    1. my old favorite the hex editor (just download a free one)
    2. resourcehacker (editing the dialogs, strings and bitmaps in windows executables)
    3. a decompiler..

    A hex editor displays the contents of a file in hex format (0,1,2,3 etc to F) allong with the normal (ascii) format and lets you edit the file that way.. nothing more..
    Resourcehacker will allow you to mangle windows apps and make your own little adjustments to the look and feel..
    A decompiler can convert the executable back to a disassembled state, this is in no way nice readable sourcecode, but you could edit the disassambled remains and re-assamble them..

    well that was all the help for now..

    Could you on your part enlighten the board on your intentions with the ability to edit exe's?
    ASCII stupid question, get a stupid ANSI.
    When in Russia, pet a PETSCII.

    Get your ass over to SLAYRadio the best station for C64 Remixes !

  4. #4
    AO übergeek phishphreek's Avatar
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    An .exe file is an executable file. It is a binary file.

    It is a file that has already been compiled.

    If you were to examine its contents with a hex editor or notepad or whatever, you'll get a lot of junk. However, if you search for strings... you can get an idea of what it does.

    There are decompilers that will attempt to give you the source code that the binary was compiled from. If you read the EULA... decompiling and the like is not permitted. reverse engineering... does that stop most people? No...

    What exactly are you trying to do?

    EDIT: Damn, you two beat me to it.
    Quitmzilla is a firefox extension that gives you stats on how long you have quit smoking, how much money you\'ve saved, how much you haven\'t smoked and recent milestones. Very helpful for people who quit smoking and used to smoke at their computers... Helps out with the urges.

  5. #5
    Just Another Geek
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    a) Learn to program in C/C++ until you are able to dream in C/C++.
    b) Learn assembly until you are able to dream in assembly.

    Then you can read Hacker Disassembling Uncovered.
    Oliver's Law:
    Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.

  6. #6
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    if i may add a thing or two

    Looking at compiled stuff can be done in a number of way's


    1. Try using a hexeditor:
    only adviseble if you have detailed information about certain routines
    and refferals stuff like that.
    I have used HexWorkshop to edit the exe file of the game Diablo 1
    at that time it was the only way to mod a number of things like spell, items and stuff like that because it was all hardcoded into the .exe and I needed to change things fast. Hexworkshop is really good.


    2. Disassble and use a debug program:
    This can tell you anything you want to know about a program but the more you want to
    know and edit the more knolidge about assembler youl need. After i learned a bit of
    assmbler it was a lot easyer to change things in diablo 1. Also this is what most crackers use
    if they wan't to disable things like cd-rom cheking in games and stuff like that. You can do things like look up what dialogs are being used what strings are being accessed what reg-key's are changed stuff like that. I would like to suggest ollydbg http://home.t-online.de/home/Ollydbg/ or you can use win32dasm.



    3. And the illustrius Decompile
    This is the act of taking binaries and truning it back into a source. I never used this and can't tell you much about it but i suggest this tutorial http://www.crackingislife.com/tut/decompile.htm.

    [EDIT]
    Wait this post is full of stuff that will learn you how to crack hidding it.

    Speaking of witch
    if all you want to do is crack stuff go here http://biw.rult.at/index.php?page=tuts and leave antionline alone
    Since the beginning of time, Man has searched for the answers to the big questions: \'How did we get here?\' \'Is there life after death?\' \'Are we alone?\' But today, in this very theatre, you will be asked to answer the biggest question of them all...WHO LIVES IN A PINEAPPLE UNDER THE SEA?

  7. #7
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    dos debugs a useful tool to muck about with,

    GDB on linux is good

    Try writing a hello world program in C, then open it as a binary and get the x86 opcodes and try and convert it to ASM, using just the opcodes. Its an interesting and very time consuming exercise, but gives a good understanding of the process.

    i2c

  8. #8
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    my intentions are nothing malicious here...i just want to be able to understand exe files and edit them..just to increase my computer security knowlegde..for example,if i notice a mysterious file in my computer i could analyze its exe file code to somehow understand what it does.
    Anyway..thanks for all of your replies.Do you have any links to some tutorials about this topic that you'd like to share?

  9. #9
    IDA Pro anybody. I was reading a paper on how to use IDA to turn dissassembled ASM (w/opcodes) into psuedo C/C++ code. Time consuming to say the le ast, but much fun and highly rewarding if done correctly (waste 100+ hours to get it wrong lol).

    -Cheers-

  10. #10
    Leftie Linux Lover the_JinX's Avatar
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    Yup IDA pro is a great tool for disassembling stuff..

    I have had the pleasure of playing with it on a number of occasions..
    and I have to say, these guys sure made one hell of an app (well suite realy) !!
    ASCII stupid question, get a stupid ANSI.
    When in Russia, pet a PETSCII.

    Get your ass over to SLAYRadio the best station for C64 Remixes !

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