Shareware x86 disassemblers? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: metertech58761
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 17, 2023, 06:53:28 pm
content: Just wanted to get a feel for what is available for x86 disassemblers (have a couple Windows app files I just want to nose around in... I don't need or want to spend the $$$ for a professional developer suite, and the files are ~1.5M, far too large for the online tools).I don't mind forking over a bit of money for a shareware tool... what are some hobbyist-level apps that I could look at?

author: alm
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 17, 2023, 06:56:28 pm
content: Have you looked atGhidra, an open source solution that's getting quite a bit of attention recently?

author: metertech58761
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 18, 2023, 11:54:49 am
content: If a TLA is involved, I'd be very leery of any kind of a back door. Just on general principles, I say that one is a hard pass.

author: redkitedesign
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 18, 2023, 01:57:02 pm
content: Well, the source is public so go look for the backdoor!(For those who would like to point me to Ken Thompson's 1984 Turing Award lecture, let me point out that this is a disassembler, not a compiler. But then again GCC is also a TLA)

author: eutectique
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 18, 2023, 02:31:47 pm
content: In the days of QNX4 and Watcom compiler, I used to usewdisasmas the tool of choice. There ishttps://github.com/fonic/wcdatoolnowadays, don't know how suitable it would be for you.

author: RAPo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 18, 2023, 02:33:08 pm
content: I useImHex,GhidraandCheat Engine.

author: Veteran68
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 18, 2023, 06:08:51 pm
content: Back in the day, I did a lot of reverse engineering of code (not so much these days). Back then (and I supposed still is), Hexrays IDA was the king of the hill. Pricey though for a legal copy.I also had a license to SoftICE through my work back in the DOS/Win3.1 days (complete with a homemade NMI switch wired into an ISA slot). I'm not sure they still make SoftICE though. I also used wdasm and ollydbg a few times.I've heard a lot about Ghidra in the past few years, and it seems to be taking over even from pirated IDA copies. If/when I have another RE opportunity I intend to look at it, since I no longer have any of the aforementioned tools handy, or even if they're still usable/supported/maintained on modern OS/CPU architectures.

author: eliocor
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 18, 2023, 06:46:03 pm
content: IDA Free:https://hex-rays.com/ida-free/

author: Veteran68
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 18, 2023, 06:52:01 pm
content: Quote from: eliocor on July 18, 2023, 06:46:03 pmI haven’t looked at it in awhile, but when I did the free version was an old version and very limited in capability, target type and size, etc.But depending on the OP’s needs it might work.

author: coppice
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 18, 2023, 07:34:43 pm
content: Quote from: metertech58761 on July 18, 2023, 11:54:49 amUse Ghidra with the network disconnected. What's it going to do? Make life easy for you? Its a really good tool.