x86 Software Reverse-Engineering, Cracking, and Counter-Measures

Introduction

Reverse engineering and software cracking are disciplines with a long, rich history. For decades, software developers have attempted to build defenses into their applications to protect intellectual property or to prevent modifications to the program code. The art of cracking has been around nearly as long as reverse engineers have been examining and modifying code for fun or profit.

Before diving into the details of how reverse engineering works, it is useful to understand the context in which these disciplines reside. This chapter describes what to expect from this book and dives into the history and legal considerations of software reverse engineering and cracking.

Who Should Read This Book

From security professionals to hobbyists, this book is for anyone who wants to learn to take apart, understand, and modify black-box software. This book takes a curious security-minded individual behind the curtain to how software cracking and computers work. Learning how an x86 computer works is not only powerful from a reverse-engineering and cracking perspective, but will make each reader a stronger developer, with advanced knowledge they can apply to code optimization, efficiency, debugging, compiler settings and chip selection. Then the curtain continues to pull back as readers learn how software cracking happens. Readers will learn about tools and techniques that real-world software crackers use, and they will set their newfound knowledge to the test by cracking real-world ...