Reverse Engineering for Beginners: How to Perform Static Analysis on any Piece of Software 

Some of your introduction, including the development of the bombe is incorrect. The original bombe was developed in the early 1930's by the Polish engineers, who along with their plans and personnel were helped to escape from Poland to the UK before the German invasion at the start of WWII. With these people and plans, Alan Turing and Gordon Welchman developed the system much further at the cryptography centre at Bletchley Park in Buckinghamshire in the UK. Much later, their design for the bombe was given to the US Army and Navy to allow them to build their own systems. The bulk of the German radio traffic in Europe was intercepted by both military Y stations and civilian voluntary interceptors (VI's), who were amateur radio operators skilled in receiving morse code in adverse conditions. All of these intercepted messages were decrypted, translated, analysed and disseminated by the personnel based at Bletchley Park.

I am a devops engineer and the algos brought me here. This flew way over my head but I thoroughly enjoyed it

Looks like you hit the algorithm, just FYI

I never watched a single reverse engineering video yet the algorithm somehow knew I was interested in this. 🤣 thanks for the video

Best approach on explaining assembly I've seen so far, starting with cpu and ram structure. Great job!

The best introduction to RE and assembly I have ever watched. Hands down, you know your stuff and have mastered the art of teaching.

All it took was the title and video length for me to know I had to watch this. Very much to the point. Loved every second

The effort put into this video is visible and the quality is insane. Very well presented and explained. Bravo!

I fully expected to be overwhelmed but you broke it down in a digestible way. Thank you.

This is like a full semester course packed into an hour. Well done.

Been watching your channel and I've just barely realized how slept on you are. Considering the quality of your videos I had thought you already had thousands of subs and much more views. This channel is going to blow up--considering the impending explosion of cybersecurity careers in line with AI/ML advances--its only up from here man!

Excellent video, bro. The intro was a bit unnecessary but the remaining part of the video was fire and by far the best content on reverse engineering I have seen.

I thought I was going to end up in another RU-vid rabbit hole with no new cybersecurity content that would peak my interest. I almost gave up lol. I just finished watching this video and I have to say I am so happy I found your channel. I love your editing and how you teach your methods. Please keep the amazing content coming. You got a new subscriber. 💪🏻

As a mechanical engineer this is not the type of reverse engineering nor the kind of static analysis I was expecting.

This is an important video. Cybersecurity is an extremely gatekept industry. Respect for covering things others don't want to

I have been looking for a decent architecture primer, and here one is. Thank you! Subbed.

Great video. For some reason I don't see a "main" function my file. Please dont stop making videos you are naturally born teacher. Many thanks

A part 2 would be awesome man, thanks for making this!

Excellent starting point. Thank you so much for making this! You explain things very clearly.

this video will skyrocket...

I really enjoy your content! Could we schedule a second session on reverse engineering? I’d love to dive deeper into the details, and if possible, a live demo of a piece of written software would be greatly appreciated. You're doing fantastic work, and I truly value it!

That was honestly amazing. I would love a part 2, and 3, and 4.

I know ASM but this was very pleasing to listen to while doing work around the house and general cleaning. Definitely subscribed to your channel. You’ve got a great format going on your videos. Keep it up, I see 25k+ by the end of the year.

you're amazing bro, you answered almost all the questions I had about getting started. Lot's of love from Turkey!!

I love tech hands down, but for some reason I just don't like cyber security. My interest in it was always very low, but for some reason you've captured my attention. I found myself losing track of time while watching these videos. Thank you my friend. It looks like you've sparked something that I didn't even know was there.

Man, you're so good, I've always thought of cybersecurity as a whole is complex and hard, don't get me wrong , it still is hard for me 😂, but the way you teach things , the way you explain , I could relate to it even as a complete beginner, keep going mate 🙌, and also the intro of this video is a banger, sick editing, I ain't even lying you're gonna pop off, this video already did pop off, Keep the videos coming, Just wanted to let you know that you're video are super helpful.❤

Thanks for the great tutorial!! I really like how you explained the stack with the main function. As a programmer this made a lot of sense and helped me understand something I've been trying to wrap my mind around in lower level programming like Rust

Thanks for dropping the video. Want part 2 of this. A dynamic analysis would be great.

49:08 quick note, In the context of C and C++, a reserve parameter is put in there by whoever designed it so they can later modify it or extend it with other functionality, eg. like in a later version. Same concept but in something unrelated, you see this sometimes in forum threads. An announcement thread is made and sometimes the original poster of that thread would make 1 or 2 extra empty message post below the first so they have space to add extra stuff later if they need.

Wish I had time to dive more into this. My brain is currently consumed by machine learning. Bookmarking for a rainy day.

i admire your work so much, you’re a true inspiration!

Thanks for taking the time to make this video, Man it was great.(Definitely look forward to any additional videos on this topic) I think it would lead good into buffer overflow explanations for a future video. Js de-obfuscation maybe ? 🎉Just keeping the ideas rolling for yah .

Just found your RU-vid very informative, start following you already. Thanks

please continue this and get into more advance stuff eventually!! you are great

This was very informational and well explained. Thanks for this!

Highly underrated channel, I know you will pop off soon.

Definitely would like part 2!

Dude... this is JUST what I needed.

This is amazing I’m glad I found your channel

Excellent video brother, I stumbled upon your channel and had to subscribe :)

Can't wait for a part 2

Great Video! Keep it up. Subscribed!

Thank you for making this video, I hope future RE enthusiasts will see this one, it's gold! I learned asm by myself a few years ago, and never knew about the lore of big-little endian lol

I love it, new Sub! Please make Part 2,3,4 and 100!

Gonna have to make another cup of coffee to take in all this information Great work bro. 👍

It makes me happy seeing more people interested in RE in general. RE is a skill that's very similar to learning a language. You practice familiarity until you develop fluency. A lot of the regular RE communities are super-quiet with individuals that are very temporary, looking for a quick answer when there is none. It makes it very difficult to hire people, instead forcing companies to search for people who're passionate, and then training them up to speed.

Dude, your channel is like a dream come true, I always wanted to understand reversing because for me it still feels like some magic

Thanks you my brother for more to learn about..

I like the way you explain. Thanks

You got the history wrong. The poles were Marian Rejewski, Jerzy Różycki and Henryk Zygalski. Turing built a computer on top of it.

Very cool. Thank you.

Thanks for making this kind of awesome video ,please upload the 2nd part

Great content, very interesting, as we say in France : Merci beaucoup :)

Really thanks for simple the explanation man. Please create a proper standard for reverse engineering with a proper series and come fast with part 2 brother.

I would definitely love a part 2

Yay... 600th subscriber!

I loved the video! Can we get a part two?

Looks like a great video glad it got recommended to me, I'm procrastinating like crazy but wana start learning. i saved it watch later please someone remind me

Excellent!

Thanks! This will be helpful for me as a normie.

make this is playlist please. It was nice, improved my understanding

Seems like a really interesting video, and if an ARM version is ever made, I will be back to watch the full series, but to be honest, x86 assembler makes me projectile-vomit every time I see it, so for now I am bowing out. I am leaving a like, in the hope it encourages you to do more.

Brother your channel is criminally undersubscribed

Awesome video. Your presentation is excellent, you have some great graphics, and your knowledge is impressive. Could you keep them coming? On a side note, X86 refers to 16-bit and 32-bit processors, not just 32/64-bit processors. It was only in the Pentium and later series processors that they used 32-bit registers. Thus, from a historical point of view, the X86 would be referring to 16-bit and 32-bit processors in this family. Timeline 1978: The original processor used 16-bit registers. In 1982, 80286 used 16-bit registers, and then, in 1985, the processor with a 32-bit register was released.

You are incredible thank you

I would very much like a part 2. PLEASE MAKE a PART 2

Good content!

The algorithm has favored you (and me!)

Subscribed ✊🏾

Here are the highlights from the video "Reverse Engineering for Beginners: How to Perform Static Analysis on any Piece of Software" along with suggested improvements for each section: ### Highlights and Suggested Improvements 1. **Introduction to Reverse Engineering** - **Highlight**: The video starts by explaining what reverse engineering is and its importance in understanding and recreating software. - **Improvement**: Include a brief overview of the ethical and legal considerations involved in reverse engineering to provide viewers with a comprehensive understanding of the practice. 2. **Static Analysis Basics** - **Highlight**: Introduction to static analysis and its role in reverse engineering, including looking at assembly code and understanding how a program works without executing it. - **Improvement**: Provide a more detailed explanation of the differences between static and dynamic analysis, and when to use each method effectively. 3. **Tools and Setup** - **Highlight**: The video mentions using Cutter as a disassembler and debugger for static analysis. - **Improvement**: Offer a comparison of different tools available for static analysis (e.g., IDA Pro, Ghidra, Radare2) and explain the pros and cons of each, helping viewers choose the best tool for their needs. 4. **Example Analysis** - **Highlight**: Walkthrough of a specific example, showing how to analyze assembly code, understand function calls, and identify important instructions. - **Improvement**: Use multiple examples of varying complexity to show how different types of software and malware can be approached. This can help viewers understand the broader applicability of the techniques discussed. 5. **Combining Static and Dynamic Analysis** - **Highlight**: Brief mention of combining static analysis with dynamic analysis to get a complete picture of how the software operates. - **Improvement**: Provide a detailed example of how to integrate dynamic analysis tools (e.g., using a debugger to monitor runtime behavior) and explain how this combined approach can help uncover more details about the software. 6. **Decompilation** - **Highlight**: Discussion on using decompilers to convert assembly code back into higher-level code for easier understanding. - **Improvement**: Explain the limitations and challenges of decompilation, such as issues with obfuscation or incomplete decompilation, and offer tips on how to deal with these challenges. 7. **Practical Applications** - **Highlight**: Mention of practical applications like malware analysis, bug bounty hunting, and understanding proprietary software. - **Improvement**: Include real-world case studies or success stories to illustrate how reverse engineering has been effectively used in these areas, providing concrete examples of its benefits. 8. **Avoiding Common Pitfalls** - **Highlight**: The video briefly touches on avoiding certain common mistakes in reverse engineering. - **Improvement**: Expand this section to include a comprehensive list of common pitfalls and detailed strategies for avoiding them, ensuring that beginners can navigate the process more smoothly. 9. **Continued Learning and Resources** - **Highlight**: Encouragement to continue learning and exploring the field of reverse engineering. - **Improvement**: Provide a list of recommended books, courses, forums, and online resources where viewers can deepen their knowledge and connect with the reverse engineering community. 10. **Interactive Elements** - **Highlight**: Engaging and clear presentation style that makes complex topics accessible. - **Improvement**: Incorporate interactive elements such as quizzes, hands-on exercises, and downloadable sample code to reinforce learning and provide practical experience. By incorporating these improvements, the video can offer a more comprehensive, practical, and user-friendly guide to reverse engineering, catering to both beginners and those looking to deepen their expertise.

This what i find interesting

Got to support my yaad man brother engineers 🙏🏾💯

LIked. Subscribed.

You are getting boosted by yhe algorithm 🤓

Instant subscription to your channel. I can't remember another instance in which I subscribe from the first video I watch. Thanks for your time doing this bro. MVP

Liked ✅ Commented ✅ Subscribed ✅ Part 2 .........loading

Thank You

I can't tell you the number of times I've been in the middle of some random CTFTime event and realize I've been stuck on the same "easy" rev problem for 8 hours...

I hope people can apply this knowledge into modding games

Like, comment, and subscribe folks! Keep the algorithm working as it's supposed to!

I never heard of this guy and he pops up in my feed. The youtube gods are smiling down on you. I'm an expert -- you might need to track your statistics, and maybe gear up to grab your growth spurt audience. Good stuff -- especially for newbies into the fields of programming.

Algorithm sent me. Subbed

AMAZINGGGGGGGGGGG!

This is a really good informative video! Nice work!

If we wrote right-to-left (best for right-handers with clay tablets so they can see the approaching margin) and used our usual Hindu-Arabic numbers, or instead wrote left-to-right (best for right-handers with ink so they more easily avoid smudging wet ink) and wrote numbers with the smallest place values first, we would all be using Little Endian machines, and multi-byte numbers in hex dumps of any byte multiple units, bit numbering and bitmapped graphics pixel addressing would be rather consistent and intuitive. 😀

Im using your video for internal training of our team! The animations are great, I would work on delivery. Thanks for this content!

You have a knack for this. Keep it up!

Hey great video. Awesome learning experience. Can you lay some pointers on how you prepared for the video - i mean the layout of content, 1. what to discuss/explain first and how much to say on what topic then going on to next 2. the scripting balance with facts, teaching, engagement, fun 3. what technology (app, device) you're using. Thank you!

It's an Arithmetic/Logic Unit, it performs arithmetic (+, -, *, /, %, etc.) and logic (&, |, ^, etc.) operations

The RU-vid recommendations algo working as it should, finally. Amazing content ❤

only Alan Turing and Bombe was from Britan, his machine was based(but only a little actually) on a polish machine "bomba" which is bomb in polish P.S. The rest of the video is cool btw P.S.S. Also at the time bombe was made, poland was entirly capitulated so there was no way for it to make anything

This is so beyond me but I love the geeky nerdery of it. :)

Hey, I appriciate you and this video but I think that you would really benefit from a little bit more of a rigid script as it's kinda natural for us humans to kinda wander and dilly dally which can make the information pretty hard to understand. I get it takes a lot of time and effort so its selfish of me to ask that of you, but I'd personally recommend you try and make a more "combed" video as it makes for a much more engaging and informative video. Either way cheers, I learned a bit

Wow I was recommended a video on an advanced computer topic thats not 8 minutes, but actually seems long enough to warrant such a theme? Nice! Im only a couple minutes in, but seems like its off to a great start.

I love seeing black in tech/IT/Cybersecurity, keep up the great work, brother!

do you have any advice on reverse engineering a 16-bit program for ms-dos that uses overlays?

Would love to see an x64 vs 32 bits. The registers definitely behave differently

10/10

Algorithm brought me here. The subscribe button will keep me

Very good video 😊 I can only add that maybe you should make gate release slightly longer, as voice cut is very pronounced. Maybe 300-500ms would help 😉