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Editing Binaries: Easier Than It Sounds

posted by janrinok on Monday March 24 2014, @04:51PM   Printer-friendly
from the not-for-the-faint-hearted dept.

Anonymous Coward writes:

"Dan Luu, in his blog, suggests that editing binaries is something that we should consider from time to time. From that blog:

Editing binaries is a trick that comes in handy a few times a year. You don't often need to, but when you do, there's no alternative. When I mention patching binaries, I get one of two reactions: complete shock or no reaction at all. As far as I can tell, this is because most people have one of these two models of the world:

  • There exists source code. Compilers do something to source code to make it runnable. If you change the source code, different things happen.
  • There exists a processor. The processor takes some bits and decodes them to make things happen. If you change the bits, different things happen.

If you have the first view, breaking out a hex editor to modify a program is the action of a deranged lunatic. If you have the second view, editing binaries is the most natural thing in the world. Why wouldn't you just edit the binary?"

 
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  • (Score: 2) by Reziac on Monday March 24 2014, @10:49PM

    by Reziac (2489) on Monday March 24 2014, @10:49PM (#20708) Homepage

    DOOM and DEHacked. ;)

    I've assaulted a binary with a hex editor a few times myself. I'm not a coder but sometimes it's not rocket science to figure out what part you want to change or do away with. I recall a BBS utility that insisted on calling a bunch of crappy external .COMs that were actually an early form of adware, and the util would bitch and moan if they weren't there. I rooted around in it til I found the filenames, killed all the strings, and the problem went away.

    And I made my copy of Blue Wave call itself variously Cold Wave and CrimeWave. :)

    Then again, I think it's perfectly normal to view binaries with Vern Buerg's LIST.

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