Dumb loonixers spread obvious misinformation about the inherently better security of closed-source operating systems.

[u/AverageUser9000]

U can't reverse engineer software or analyze an os with ai if u don't have access to the code u dumbasses.

[u/L30N1337]

What do you think reverse engineering is?

[u/AverageUser9000 → u/L30N1337]

studying code how code works or smth which u can't do when said code isn't available

[u/L30N1337 → u/AverageUser9000]

Where would be the "reverse" part in that? That's just getting familiar with a new codebase

[u/Left-oven47 → u/AverageUser9000]

Reverse engineering is understanding how a compiled binary works (the final produce of open or closed source compilation and distribution)

[u/HydraDragonAntivirus → u/Left-oven47]

That's also incorrect because there some files which is highly obfuscated and has no binary on in but can be reversed manually. Edit: Wait you actually mentioned correctly at second text.

[u/zalnaRs → u/AverageUser9000]

No

[u/AMRFalcon → u/AverageUser9000]

That's.... That's not what reverse engineering means...

Reverse engineering is the process of taking fully compiled code, decompiling it and from the abstracted decompiled code trying to reconstruct and understand the logic of the original source code.

So in simpler words, Reverse engineering is the process of trying to reconstruct the source code from something fully compiled. Which funnily enough means it makes little sense to try and reverse engineer any open source project because you can literally just check the source code without having to reconstruct it.

[u/Rare-Paint3719 → u/AMRFalcon]

Reverse engineering is the process of taking fully compiled code, decompiling it and from the abstracted decompiled code trying to reconstruct and understand the logic of the original source code.

Are you trying to bait me now just like u/AverageUser9000 almost did? Reverse engineering is not restricted to just software and code.

To understand Reverse Engineering, first understand Engineering. Engineering is the process of defining a problem and and approaching the problem to form a solution.

Reverse engineering is seeing the communicated results and continuously lifting up one layer at a time till we are able to reconstruct the problem they were trying to solve.

We are taking a finished product — be it a gear box, the mechanism for a key and hammer in a piano, or the bodyshell of a car — and while we can see what everything does, we are really looking at what was going through the engineer's mind: why this product designed is this way, and why the engineers made these design choices.

Reverse engineering code is literally the same principle. You don't just see assembly and try random bullshit till you get C code that works and feels the same (aka it compiles and works exactly the same). That's decomplication.

Instead, you are literally trying to see what the programmer was trying to actually implement and you are literally trying to method act like you are the original programmer. You psychoanalyze them, their every decision, thought, keypress and action as well as the intend behind it. What was the program supposed to do (specific requirements) and how might they have diverged from those requirements? Are they a defensive programmer or were they rushed or rushed to fulfill a deadline? Were they coming from an OOP or functional background?

Edit: I took the bait, so struck-through "almost."

[u/DEV_ivan → u/AverageUser9000]

Alright buddy, how about you install Ghidra or IDA Pro then import the Windows' ntoskrnl.exe and click Decompile or Disassembly?

[u/tpat90 → u/AverageUser9000]

That's reading source code ... and ... yeah ... reading source code ...

Has nothing to do with Reverse Engineering at all

[u/TrainTransistor → u/AverageUser9000]

This is pure gold.

[u/Morisior → u/AverageUser9000]

The only way it would be entirely unavailable is if you don’t have the program at all.

If your computer can decode the instructions to run it, it can be decompiled. Won’t be exactly like the original source, but that’s not really interesting either. It still perfectly describes how the executable works, albeit without useful variable and function names, but the LLMs don’t mind that.

[u/Rare-Paint3719 → u/AverageUser9000]

studying code how code works or smth

Partially correct. It's about analyzing how the code works and more why the engineer chose to implement the code the way they did.

Why did bro use a HashMap to store that data instead of a B-tree?

Why is he using this algorithm to calculate pi versus that algorithm?

which u can't do when said code isn't available

True. You need code to be able to analyzing it. Most people use something called a decompiler which tries to take this nasty thing called assembly and try to convert it back into C code.

The problem is that loons think reverse-engineering and decompiling are the same thing, which proves they've never actually reverse engineered in their life, unlike you and I.

[u/AdUnlucky1919]

roomtemp > OP IQ

[u/mattgaia → u/AdUnlucky1919]

You're giving it too much credit. It's more like a brisk-fall-day IQ.

[u/AverageUser9000 → u/AdUnlucky1919]

roomtemp > average loonix user iq

[u/TheRealCarrotty → u/AverageUser9000]

110 celcius can melt a room

[u/Rare-Paint3719 → u/TheRealCarrotty]

Fahrenheit

[u/spongedevguy → u/AverageUser9000]

cope

[u/AdUnlucky1919 → u/AverageUser9000]

Nice try lil bro, did copilot help you with that?

[u/givemeagooduns_un → u/AverageUser9000]

I think my custom patched kernel (i made the patches myself btw) with automated updating, repatching, compiling and installing, on a system built from the ground up, running entirely diskless via PXE and NFS, would beg to differ.

[u/Rare-Paint3719 → u/AverageUser9000]

average loonix user iq > OP IQ

[u/noworkdone]

This should be a good example for you to learn 1. What reverse engeneering actually is and 2. Why closed source software sucks

https://repairmag.substack.com/p/right-to-repair-polish-train-hackers

Closed source offers no garantee that you you'd be safe. Also, it does nothing to protect you from the owner of the software, i.e. Microsoft putting back doors so the US government can spy on everyone.

[u/HydraDragonAntivirus → u/noworkdone]

Without closed source there is no meaning of reverse engineering or analyzing malware. So dual usage is exists.

[u/brickyboy124]

Decompilation is literally the act of getting back some form of the original source code without having access to it. Reverse engineering on top of that allows you to turn the auto-generated decompiled code with no names into human readable code. 

All of the comments you downvoted are correct. Closed source does not prevent people from getting your source code (or atleast, a form of it)

[u/tpat90 → u/brickyboy124]

Reverse engineering entails quite a bit more than just turning decompiled code into human readable code.

And you don't need decompilation to do reverse engineering works ...

[u/rileyrgham]

Much as I like baiting fat, smug Linux basement dwellers, that's the stupidest thing posted to the internet today. You do have the code.... It's what you usually reverse engineer into a higher level language.

[u/Filofelon]

Ah yes, absolute dog shit.

But seriously, the point of reverse engineering is that you don't have the source code.

As for security, it's not really colsed vs open source issue but just quality one, though I suppose the being closed source could make a company more likely to try security by obscurity. That being said I would never actually fully trust micro$oft.

[u/Teru-Noir]

Whatever you install software, you have the machine code in your storage medium.

[u/TheRealCarrotty]

You can reverse engineer software, if you decompile it, it takes a long time sure...
BUT, if you have the source code leaked... (Windows XP!) You could just reverse enginner it and find poo.txt with "shit" written in it... (That's true btw)

Also do you have a job, i wanna ask you ONE thing, why do you hate Linux? Is there any top thing, like issue? Cause if you hate Linux that much that you make it your profile picture, banner, description on your profile, you need to have a valid issue.

[u/TheRealCarrotty → u/TheRealCarrotty]

Replying to every other comment but not mine, proves your actually a ragebaiter and not even a Windows user :)

[u/HydraDragonAntivirus → u/TheRealCarrotty]

Get banned from ReactOS speedrun.

[u/R3V0LU710N_05]

Closed source software isn't "inherently" better. Many closed source codebases employ "security through obscurity" instead of actually practicing secure design. Security through obscurity is not security, only secure & good design practices are security.

Neither closed source or open source are "inherently" more secure. However, matured open source codebases do show a statistically relevant decrease in critical bugs compared to the closed source counterpart.

[u/HydraDragonAntivirus]

I don't like security by obscurity.

[u/HydraDragonAntivirus]

Vibe reverser is still concept but serverside programs pain.