name	reverse-engineering-deep-analysis
description	Advanced binary analysis with runtime execution and symbolic path exploration (RE Levels 3-4). Use when need runtime behavior, memory dumps, secret extraction, or input synthesis to reach specific program states. Completes in 3-7 hours with GDB+Angr.
version	1.0.0
category	security
tags	security, compliance, safety
author	ruv

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when analyzing malware samples, reverse engineering binaries for security research, conducting vulnerability assessments, extracting IOCs from suspicious files, validating software for supply chain security, or performing CTF challenges and binary exploitation research.

When NOT to Use This Skill

Do NOT use for unauthorized reverse engineering of commercial software, analyzing binaries on production systems, reversing software without legal authorization, violating terms of service or EULAs, or analyzing malware outside isolated environments. Avoid for simple string extraction (use basic tools instead).

Success Criteria

All security-relevant behaviors identified (network, file, registry, process activity)
Malicious indicators extracted with confidence scores (IOCs, C2 domains, encryption keys)
Vulnerabilities documented with CVE mapping where applicable
Analysis completed within sandbox environment (VM/container with snapshots)
Findings validated through multiple analysis methods (static + dynamic + symbolic)
Complete IOC report generated (STIX/MISP format for threat intelligence sharing)
Zero false positives in vulnerability assessments
Exploitation proof-of-concept created (if vulnerability research)

Edge Cases & Challenges

Anti-analysis techniques (debugger detection, VM detection, timing checks)
Obfuscated or packed binaries requiring unpacking
Multi-stage malware with encrypted payloads
Kernel-mode rootkits requiring specialized analysis
Symbolic execution state explosion (>10,000 paths)
Binary analysis timeout on complex programs (>24 hours)
False positives from legitimate software behavior
Encrypted network traffic requiring SSL interception

Guardrails (CRITICAL SECURITY RULES)

NEVER execute unknown binaries on host systems (ONLY in isolated VM/sandbox)
NEVER analyze malware without proper containment (air-gapped lab preferred)
NEVER reverse engineer software without legal authorization
NEVER share extracted credentials or encryption keys publicly
NEVER bypass licensing mechanisms for unauthorized use
ALWAYS use sandboxed environments with network monitoring
ALWAYS take VM snapshots before executing suspicious binaries
ALWAYS validate findings through multiple analysis methods
ALWAYS document analysis methodology with timestamps
ALWAYS assume binaries are malicious until proven safe
ALWAYS use network isolation to prevent malware communication
ALWAYS sanitize IOCs before sharing (redact internal IP addresses)

Evidence-Based Validation

All reverse engineering findings MUST be validated through:

Multi-method analysis - Static + dynamic + symbolic execution confirm same behavior
Sandbox validation - Execute in isolated environment, capture all activity
Network monitoring - Packet capture validates network-based findings
Memory forensics - Validate runtime secrets through memory dumps
Behavioral correlation - Cross-reference with known malware signatures (YARA, ClamAV)
Reproducibility - Second analyst can replicate findings from analysis artifacts

Reverse Engineering: Deep Analysis

What This Skill Does

Performs deep reverse engineering through runtime execution and symbolic exploration:

Level 3 (≤1 hr): Dynamic analysis - Execute in sandbox with GDB, capture memory/secrets, trace syscalls
Level 4 (2-6 hrs): Symbolic execution - Use Angr/Z3 to synthesize inputs that reach target states

Decision Gate: After Level 3, evaluates if symbolic execution needed to reach unexplored paths.

Timebox: 3-7 hours total

Prerequisites

Level 3 Tools

GDB with GEF or Pwndbg extensions
strace/ltrace - System/library call tracing
Sandbox environment - Isolated execution (firejail, Docker, or custom)

Level 4 Tools

Angr - Symbolic execution framework (Python)
Z3 - SMT solver
Python 3.9+ - For Angr scripts

MCP Servers

sandbox-validator - Safe binary execution
memory-mcp - Store runtime findings
sequential-thinking - Path exploration decisions
graph-analyst - Visualize execution paths

⚠️ CRITICAL SECURITY WARNING

NEVER execute unknown binaries on your host system!

All dynamic analysis, debugging, and symbolic execution MUST be performed in:

Isolated VM (VMware/VirtualBox with snapshots for rollback)
Docker container with security policies (--security-opt, --cap-drop=ALL)
E2B sandbox via sandbox-configurator skill with network monitoring
Dedicated malware analysis lab (air-gapped if handling APTs)

Consequences of unsafe execution:

Malware infection with kernel-level rootkits
Memory corruption and system instability
Data exfiltration via covert channels
Supply chain attacks via trojanized builds
Complete system compromise

Safe Practices:

Always use sandboxed environments with snapshots
Monitor syscalls and network activity during execution
Use GDB/Angr in isolated containers only
Never attach debuggers to binaries on production systems
Validate all inputs before symbolic execution
Assume all binaries are malicious until proven safe through static analysis

Quick Start

# 1. Full deep analysis (Levels 3+4)
/re:deep crackme.exe

# 2. Dynamic analysis only (Level 3)
/re:dynamic server.bin --args "--port 8080"

# 3. Symbolic execution only (Level 4)
/re:symbolic challenge.exe --target-addr 0x401337

Level 3: Dynamic Analysis (≤1 hour)

Step 1: Safe Execution in Sandbox

/re:dynamic binary.exe --args "test input" --sandbox true

Sandboxing:

Filesystem isolation (read-only /usr, /bin)
Network disabled or monitored
Process limits (CPU, memory, time)
Prevents malware escape

Step 2: Retrieve Static Analysis Context

Before executing, the skill automatically retrieves Level 2 findings:

// Check memory-mcp for static analysis results
const staticFindings = await mcp__memory-mcp__vector_search({
  query: binary_hash,
  filter: {category: "reverse-engineering", re_level: 2}
})

// Extract critical functions and suggested breakpoints
const breakpoints = staticFindings.critical_functions.map(f => f.address)
// Example: ["0x401234", "0x401567", "0x4018ab"]

Step 3: GDB Session with Auto-Loaded Breakpoints

Automatically loads breakpoints from Level 2 static analysis:

# Auto-generated from static analysis
break *0x401234  # check_password function
break *0x401567  # validate_license function
break *0x4018ab  # decrypt_config function

# Run with test input
run --flag "test_input_from_user"

GDB Session Commands (executed automatically):

# At each breakpoint:

# 1. Dump all registers
info registers

# 2. Dump stack (100 bytes)
x/100x $rsp

# 3. Dump heap allocations (if applicable)
info proc mappings
x/100x [heap_address]

# 4. Search for secrets in memory
find 0x600000, 0x700000, "password"
find 0x600000, 0x700000, "admin"

# 5. Dump interesting strings from registers
x/s $rdi  # First argument (often string pointer)
x/s $rsi  # Second argument

Step 4: Capture Runtime State

At each breakpoint, the skill captures:

Register State:

RAX: 0x0000000000401337
RBX: 0x0000000000000000
RCX: 0x00007fffffffe010  → "user_input_here"
RDX: 0x0000000000000010
RSI: 0x00007fffffffe020  → "expected_password"
RDI: 0x00007fffffffe030  → buffer
RBP: 0x00007fffffffe100
RSP: 0x00007fffffffe0e0
RIP: 0x0000000000401234  → check_password

Stack Dump (saved to re-project/dbg/0x401234-stack.bin):

0x7fffffffe0e0: 0x0000000000401337  0x0000000000000000
0x7fffffffe0f0: 0x00007fffffffe200  0x0000000000000001

Memory Secrets (extracted automatically):

Found at 0x601000: "admin:SecretP@ss123"
Found at 0x601020: "license_key=ABC-DEF-GHI-JKL"
Found at 0x601040: "api_token=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIs..."

Syscall Trace (via strace):

# Automatically executed in parallel
strace -o re-project/dbg/syscalls.log ./binary.exe --flag test

Output:

open("/etc/config.ini", O_RDONLY) = 3
read(3, "password=admin123\n", 1024) = 18
socket(AF_INET, SOCK_STREAM, 0) = 4
connect(4, {sa_family=AF_INET, sin_port=htons(443), sin_addr=inet_addr("192.168.1.100")}, 16) = 0
send(4, "POST /api/login HTTP/1.1\r\n...", 256, 0) = 256

Step 5: Output Structure

re-project/dbg/
├── gdb-session.log          # Full GDB transcript
├── breakpoints.txt          # List of breakpoints set
├── memory-dumps/
│   ├── 0x401234-registers.txt
│   ├── 0x401234-stack.bin
│   ├── 0x401567-registers.txt
│   ├── 0x401567-stack.bin
│   └── 0x4018ab-heap.bin
├── syscalls.log             # strace output
├── libcalls.log             # ltrace output
└── runtime-secrets.txt      # Extracted passwords, keys, tokens

Step 6: Decision Gate - Escalate to Level 4?

// Automatically evaluated via sequential-thinking MCP
const decision = await mcp__sequential-thinking__evaluate({
  question: "Should we proceed to symbolic execution (Level 4)?",
  factors: [
    `Branches explored: ${explored_branches}/${total_branches}`,
    `Unreachable code found: ${unreachable_functions.length > 0}`,
    `User's question answered: ${findings_sufficient}`,
    `Input-dependent paths: ${symbolic_paths_needed}`
  ]
})

// Example evaluation:
// - Explored 12/20 branches (60% coverage)
// - Found 3 unreachable functions (possible anti-debug)
// - User wants to reach "win" function at 0x401337 (NOT YET REACHED)
// - Input-dependent path detected (password check with strcmp)
// DECISION: ESCALATE TO LEVEL 4

Level 4: Symbolic Execution (2-6 hours)

Step 1: Define Target State from Dynamic Analysis

# From Level 3: Couldn't reach "win" function at 0x401337 with manual inputs
target_addr = 0x401337  # Goal: Find input that reaches this

# From Level 3: These functions lead to failure/exit
avoid_addrs = [
  0x401400,  # fail_message function
  0x401500,  # bad_password function
  0x401600   # exit_program function
]

Step 2: Launch Symbolic Exploration

/re:symbolic binary.exe \
  --target-addr 0x401337 \
  --avoid-addrs 0x401400,0x401500,0x401600 \
  --max-states 1000 \
  --timeout 7200

What Happens Under the Hood:

import angr
import claripy

# Step 2.1: Load binary into Angr project
project = angr.Project('./binary.exe', auto_load_libs=False)

# Step 2.2: Create symbolic input
# Assume input is 32-byte flag
flag_length = 32
flag = claripy.BVS('flag', flag_length * 8)

# Step 2.3: Create entry state with symbolic stdin
state = project.factory.entry_state(
    stdin=flag,
    add_options={angr.options.LAZY_SOLVES}
)

# Step 2.4: Add constraints - printable ASCII only
for byte in flag.chop(8):
    state.add_constraints(byte >= 0x20)  # Printable ASCII start
    state.add_constraints(byte <= 0x7e)  # Printable ASCII end

# Step 2.5: Create simulation manager
simgr = project.factory.simulation_manager(state)

# Step 2.6: Explore paths (DFS strategy)
simgr.explore(
    find=0x401337,      # Target address
    avoid=[0x401400, 0x401500, 0x401600],  # Avoid addresses
    num_find=1,         # Stop after finding first solution
    max_states=1000     # Prevent state explosion
)

# Step 2.7: Check if solution found
if simgr.found:
    # Extract concrete input
    solution_state = simgr.found[0]
    solution = solution_state.solver.eval(flag, cast_to=bytes)
    print(f"Solution: {solution.decode()}")

    # Save solution
    with open('re-project/sym/solutions/solution-1.txt', 'wb') as f:
        f.write(solution)
else:
    print("No solution found within constraints")

Step 3: Advanced Symbolic Techniques

Technique 1: Hook Library Functions

# Replace complex library functions with symbolic summaries
import angr

# Hook strcmp to return symbolic value
class StrCmpHook(angr.SimProcedure):
    def run(self, s1, s2):
        # Return symbolic comparison result
        s1_str = self.state.memory.load(s1, 32)
        s2_str = self.state.memory.load(s2, 32)
        return s1_str == s2_str

project.hook_symbol('strcmp', StrCmpHook())

Technique 2: State Merging for Complex Paths

# Merge states at loop entry to prevent explosion
simgr.use_technique(angr.exploration_techniques.Veritesting())

# Alternative: Manual state merging
while simgr.active:
    simgr.step()
    if len(simgr.active) > 50:
        # Merge similar states
        simgr.merge()

Technique 3: Constraint Simplification

# Add intermediate constraints to guide exploration
state.add_constraints(
    flag[0:4] == b'FLAG'  # Known prefix from hints
)

# This reduces search space dramatically
# Without: 256^32 possibilities
# With: 256^28 possibilities (4 bytes fixed)

Step 4: Validate Solution

# Test synthesized input
echo "FLAG_synthesized_solution_here" | ./binary.exe

# Expected output:
# "Success! You reached the target state."
# "Congratulations! Flag: CTF{...}"

Validation Steps:

Run binary with synthesized input
Verify execution reaches target address (0x401337)
Check output matches expected success message
Store validated solution in memory-mcp

Step 5: Output Structure

re-project/sym/
├── angr-script.py           # Reproducible Angr script
├── solutions/
│   ├── solution-1.txt       # First valid solution
│   ├── solution-2.txt       # Alternative solution (if --find-all)
│   └── solution-3.txt
├── constraints/
│   ├── path-1.smt2          # Z3 constraints for path 1
│   ├── path-2.smt2
│   └── simplified.smt2      # Simplified constraint set
├── validation.log           # Validation test results
└── exploration-metrics.json # States explored, time taken, coverage

exploration-metrics.json:

{
  "total_states": 847,
  "found_states": 3,
  "avoided_states": 124,
  "deadended_states": 720,
  "execution_time_sec": 3245,
  "coverage_percent": 78.5,
  "memory_usage_mb": 2847,
  "solutions_found": 3
}

Advanced Options

Custom Breakpoints (Dynamic Analysis)

# Set breakpoints at crypto functions
/re:dynamic binary.exe --breakpoints AES_encrypt,RSA_sign,MD5_update

# Set breakpoints at specific addresses
/re:dynamic binary.exe --breakpoints 0x401000,0x402000,0x403000

# Conditional breakpoints (GDB syntax)
/re:dynamic binary.exe --breakpoints "0x401234 if $rdi == 0x601000"

Advanced GDB Scripting:

# Custom GDB Python script (auto-loaded if found)
# re-project/gdb-script.py

import gdb

class PasswordBreakpoint(gdb.Breakpoint):
    def __init__(self, location):
        super().__init__(location)

    def stop(self):
        # Extract password from RDI register
        rdi = gdb.parse_and_eval('$rdi')
        password = gdb.execute(f'x/s {rdi}', to_string=True)

        # Log to file
        with open('passwords.log', 'a') as f:
            f.write(f"{password}\n")

        # Continue execution
        return False

# Set custom breakpoint
PasswordBreakpoint("check_password")

Symbolic Exploration Strategies

Strategy 1: Find ALL Solutions

# Exhaustive search (may take hours)
/re:symbolic binary.exe \
  --target-addr 0x401337 \
  --find-all true \
  --max-solutions 10 \
  --timeout 14400

# In Angr script
simgr.explore(
    find=0x401337,
    avoid=avoid_addrs,
    num_find=10  # Find up to 10 solutions
)

# Process all found solutions
for idx, state in enumerate(simgr.found):
    solution = state.solver.eval(flag, cast_to=bytes)
    with open(f'solution-{idx+1}.txt', 'wb') as f:
        f.write(solution)

Strategy 2: Limit State Explosion

# Aggressive pruning
/re:symbolic binary.exe \
  --max-states 100 \
  --avoid-addrs 0x401400,0x401500,0x401600 \
  --strategy dfs  # Depth-first search (memory efficient)

# Use Veritesting to merge paths
simgr.use_technique(angr.exploration_techniques.Veritesting())

# Drop states if too many active
simgr.use_technique(angr.exploration_techniques.LengthLimiter(max_length=100))

# Prioritize states closer to target
simgr.use_technique(angr.exploration_techniques.Explorer(
    find=0x401337,
    avoid=avoid_addrs,
    num_find=1
))

Strategy 3: Under-Constrained Symbolic Execution

# Start from target address and work backwards
project = angr.Project('./binary.exe')

# Create state at target address (not entry point)
state = project.factory.blank_state(addr=0x401337)

# Make all memory symbolic
state.options.add(angr.options.SYMBION_SYNC_CLE)

# Explore backwards to find required input
simgr = project.factory.simulation_manager(state)
simgr.explore(find=project.entry)

# This finds inputs that MUST lead to target

Memory Dump Analysis

# Dump specific memory regions
/re:dynamic binary.exe \
  --dump-regions heap,stack,data \
  --dump-at-breakpoints 0x401234,0x401567

Custom Memory Analysis:

# GDB Python script for heap analysis
import gdb

def analyze_heap():
    # Get heap boundaries
    mappings = gdb.execute('info proc mappings', to_string=True)
    heap_start = extract_heap_start(mappings)
    heap_end = extract_heap_end(mappings)

    # Scan for interesting patterns
    for addr in range(heap_start, heap_end, 8):
        value = gdb.execute(f'x/g {addr}', to_string=True)

        # Check if value looks like a pointer
        if is_valid_pointer(value):
            gdb.execute(f'x/s {value}')  # Dereference as string

analyze_heap()

Comprehensive Workflow Examples

Workflow 1: Malware Analysis with Runtime Secrets

Scenario: Analyze malware sample to extract C2 server URL and encryption keys

Phase 1: Dynamic Analysis (Level 3)

# Step 1: Safe sandbox execution
/re:dynamic malware.exe --sandbox true --network-monitor true

# Step 2: GDB session auto-starts with breakpoints from static analysis
# Breakpoints at: decrypt_config, connect_to_c2, send_beacon

# Step 3: At decrypt_config breakpoint (0x401234)
(gdb) info registers
RAX: 0x0000000000601000  → encrypted_buffer
RDI: 0x0000000000601100  → decryption_key

(gdb) x/s 0x601100
0x601100: "hardcoded_AES_key_12345"

# Step 4: Continue to connect_to_c2 breakpoint (0x401567)
(gdb) continue

(gdb) x/s $rdi
0x601200: "http://malicious-c2.tk:8443/beacon"

# Step 5: Extract all findings
Runtime Secrets Found:
- AES Key: "hardcoded_AES_key_12345"
- C2 URL: "http://malicious-c2.tk:8443/beacon"
- User-Agent: "Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 10.0; Win64; x64)"

Phase 2: Decision Gate

// Automatically evaluated
QUESTION: "Proceed to symbolic execution?"
FACTORS:
- All critical functions reached ✅
- Secrets extracted (AES key, C2 URL) ✅
- User's question answered (extract IOCs) ✅
- No unreachable paths requiring symbolic execution ❌
DECISION: STOP AT LEVEL 3 (sufficient findings)

Output: Malware analysis complete in 45 minutes with full IOC extraction.

Workflow 2: CTF Challenge - Reversing License Check

Scenario: Find valid license key to unlock "premium features" in binary

Phase 1: Dynamic Analysis (Level 3)

# Step 1: Test with invalid key
/re:dynamic challenge.exe --args "--license AAAA-BBBB-CCCC-DDDD"

# Output: "Invalid license key"

# Step 2: GDB reveals license check at 0x401234
(gdb) break *0x401234
(gdb) run --license AAAA-BBBB-CCCC-DDDD

# Step 3: Examine comparison
(gdb) x/s $rdi
0x7fffffffe010: "AAAA-BBBB-CCCC-DDDD"  # User input

(gdb) x/s $rsi
0x601000: [encrypted data, not readable]

# Observation: License key is compared against encrypted/hashed value
# Cannot extract valid key directly from memory

Phase 2: Decision Gate

QUESTION: "Proceed to symbolic execution?"
FACTORS:
- License check function found ✅
- Valid key NOT extractable from memory ✅
- Comparison is complex (encryption/hashing) ✅
- User wants valid license key ✅
DECISION: ESCALATE TO LEVEL 4 (symbolic execution required)

Phase 3: Symbolic Execution (Level 4)

# Launch Angr symbolic execution
/re:symbolic challenge.exe \
  --target-addr 0x401337 \  # "Premium features unlocked" message
  --avoid-addrs 0x401400 \  # "Invalid license" path
  --input-format "FLAG-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX" \
  --max-states 500

Angr Script (auto-generated):

import angr
import claripy

project = angr.Project('./challenge.exe', auto_load_libs=False)

# License key format: FLAG-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX (19 chars)
license_key = claripy.BVS('license', 19 * 8)

# Create entry state with symbolic license as argv[2]
state = project.factory.entry_state(args=['./challenge.exe', '--license', license_key])

# Constrain to valid format: FLAG-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX
for i in range(19):
    if i in [0, 1, 2, 3]:  # "FLAG"
        state.add_constraints(license_key.get_byte(i) == ord("FLAG"[i]))
    elif i in [4, 9, 14]:  # Dashes
        state.add_constraints(license_key.get_byte(i) == ord('-'))
    else:  # X = uppercase letters or digits
        byte = license_key.get_byte(i)
        state.add_constraints(
            claripy.Or(
                claripy.And(byte >= ord('A'), byte <= ord('Z')),
                claripy.And(byte >= ord('0'), byte <= ord('9'))
            )
        )

# Explore
simgr = project.factory.simulation_manager(state)
simgr.explore(find=0x401337, avoid=0x401400)

if simgr.found:
    solution = simgr.found[0].solver.eval(license_key, cast_to=bytes)
    print(f"Valid License: {solution.decode()}")
    # Output: "FLAG-A7B2-C9D4-E1F6"

Validation:

$ ./challenge.exe --license FLAG-A7B2-C9D4-E1F6
Premium features unlocked!
Congratulations! Here is your flag: CTF{symbolic_execution_wins}

Output: Challenge solved in 3.5 hours total (45min dynamic + 3hr symbolic).

Workflow 3: Vulnerability Research - Buffer Overflow

Scenario: Find exploitable buffer overflow in server binary

Phase 1: Dynamic Analysis (Level 3)

# Step 1: Launch server in sandbox
/re:dynamic server.bin --args "--port 8080" --sandbox true

# Step 2: Fuzz with large inputs
echo "A"*1000 | nc localhost 8080

# GDB catches segfault
Program received signal SIGSEGV, Segmentation fault.
0x4141414141414141 in ?? ()

# Step 3: Analyze crash
(gdb) info registers
RIP: 0x4141414141414141  # Overwritten return address
RSP: 0x7fffffffe100
RBP: 0x4141414141414141

(gdb) x/100x $rsp
# Shows stack completely overwritten with 'A' (0x41)

# Step 4: Find offset to return address
# Use pattern_create and pattern_offset from GEF/Pwndbg
(gdb) pattern create 1000
(gdb) run
# Crash at offset 512

# Confirmed: Buffer overflow at offset 512, control of RIP

Phase 2: Decision Gate

QUESTION: "Proceed to symbolic execution?"
FACTORS:
- Buffer overflow confirmed ✅
- Offset to RIP known (512 bytes) ✅
- Exploitation demonstrated ✅
- User's goal: find vulnerability ✅ (COMPLETE)
DECISION: STOP AT LEVEL 3 (vulnerability found)

Output: Vulnerability research complete in 30 minutes.

Troubleshooting

Issue 1: Sandbox Blocks Execution

Symptoms: Binary fails to run with "Permission denied" or syscall blocked errors

Cause: Sandbox too restrictive, blocking necessary syscalls

Solution 1: Whitelist necessary syscalls

# Check which syscalls are blocked
strace ./binary.exe 2>&1 | grep "Operation not permitted"

# Create custom seccomp profile
cat > sandbox-profile.json <<EOF
{
  "defaultAction": "SCMP_ACT_ERRNO",
  "syscalls": [
    {"names": ["read", "write", "open", "close"], "action": "SCMP_ACT_ALLOW"},
    {"names": ["socket", "connect"], "action": "SCMP_ACT_ALLOW"}
  ]
}
EOF

# Use custom profile
/re:dynamic binary.exe --sandbox-profile sandbox-profile.json

Solution 2: Use less restrictive sandbox

# Disable network isolation only (allow file access)
/re:dynamic server.bin --sandbox true --allow-network true

# Or use Docker instead of seccomp
docker run --rm -v $(pwd):/work -it ubuntu:20.04 /work/binary.exe

Issue 2: GDB Fails to Attach

Symptoms: "ptrace: Operation not permitted" or GDB won't start

Cause: System security settings prevent ptrace

Solution 1: Temporarily allow ptrace (Linux)

# Check current setting
cat /proc/sys/kernel/yama/ptrace_scope
# 1 = restricted, 0 = unrestricted

# Temporarily allow (requires sudo)
echo 0 | sudo tee /proc/sys/kernel/yama/ptrace_scope

# Rerun analysis
/re:dynamic binary.exe

Solution 2: Run GDB with sudo

sudo /re:dynamic binary.exe

Solution 3: Use container (bypass host restrictions)

docker run --cap-add=SYS_PTRACE --rm -it ubuntu:20.04 bash
# Inside container:
apt update && apt install gdb
gdb ./binary.exe

Issue 3: Angr State Explosion

Symptoms: Symbolic execution runs out of memory or times out with thousands of active states

Cause: Binary has too many branches, creating exponential state explosion

Solution 1: Add more avoid states

# Find all "failure" functions from static analysis
/re:static binary.exe --list-functions | grep -i "fail\|error\|exit"

# Add all failure addresses to avoid list
/re:symbolic binary.exe \
  --target-addr 0x401337 \
  --avoid-addrs 0x401400,0x401500,0x401600,0x401700,0x401800 \
  --max-states 100

Solution 2: Use Veritesting (merge states automatically)

# In custom Angr script
simgr.use_technique(angr.exploration_techniques.Veritesting())

# This merges similar states, reducing explosion by 10-100x

Solution 3: Start from intermediate address (skip unimportant code)

# Skip initialization code, start at license check function
state = project.factory.blank_state(addr=0x401234)

# Set up expected register/memory state (from Level 3 analysis)
state.regs.rdi = state.solver.BVS('input', 32*8)

# Explore from this point only
simgr = project.factory.simulation_manager(state)
simgr.explore(find=0x401337)

Issue 4: Memory Dumps Too Large

Symptoms: GDB dumps gigabytes of memory, fills disk space

Cause: Dumping entire address space instead of targeted regions

Solution 1: Target specific memory regions from vmmap

# Check memory mappings
(gdb) info proc mappings

# Example output:
# 0x400000-0x600000  r-xp  /path/binary.exe  (code)
# 0x600000-0x700000  rw-p  /path/binary.exe  (data)
# 0x7ffff7a0d000-0x7ffff7bcd000  r-xp  /lib/libc.so  (library)

# Dump ONLY data section (where secrets likely are)
(gdb) dump binary memory data-section.bin 0x600000 0x700000

# Dump ONLY stack (where local variables are)
(gdb) dump binary memory stack.bin $rsp-0x1000 $rsp+0x1000

Solution 2: Use selective breakpoint dumps

# Only dump memory at specific breakpoints, not every instruction
/re:dynamic binary.exe \
  --breakpoints 0x401234,0x401567 \
  --dump-at-breakpoints true \
  --dump-regions stack,heap

Issue 5: Symbolic Execution Timeout

Symptoms: Angr runs for hours without finding solution

Cause: Constraint solver (Z3) stuck on complex constraints

Solution 1: Increase timeout and simplify constraints

/re:symbolic binary.exe \
  --timeout 14400 \  # 4 hours
  --max-states 200 \
  --simplify-constraints true

Solution 2: Use incremental solving

# Add constraints incrementally instead of all at once
state.solver.add(constraint1)
if state.satisfiable():
    state.solver.add(constraint2)
    if state.satisfiable():
        state.solver.add(constraint3)

Solution 3: Use faster solver (CVC4 or Boolector)

import angr
import claripy

# Use faster solver backend
claripy.backends.backend_manager.backends._eager_backends = [
    claripy.backends.BackendConcrete,
    claripy.backends.BackendZ3  # Replace with BackendCVC4
]

Performance Optimization

Speed Up Dynamic Analysis (Level 3)

Optimization 1: Parallel Syscall Tracing

# Run strace and ltrace in parallel
(strace -o syscalls.log ./binary.exe &)
(ltrace -o libcalls.log ./binary.exe &)
wait

Optimization 2: GDB Scripting for Automation

# GDB Python script for automatic analysis
# re-project/auto-analyze.py

import gdb

breakpoints = [0x401234, 0x401567, 0x4018ab]

for bp_addr in breakpoints:
    gdb.Breakpoint(f"*{bp_addr}")

# Run until first breakpoint
gdb.execute('run')

# At each breakpoint, dump and continue
for i in range(len(breakpoints)):
    # Dump state
    regs = gdb.execute('info registers', to_string=True)
    stack = gdb.execute('x/100x $rsp', to_string=True)

    with open(f'bp-{i}-state.txt', 'w') as f:
        f.write(f"Registers:\n{regs}\nStack:\n{stack}\n")

    # Continue
    if i < len(breakpoints) - 1:
        gdb.execute('continue')

Usage:

gdb -x auto-analyze.py ./binary.exe

Optimization 3: Selective Memory Dumping

# Only dump memory if interesting patterns found
/re:dynamic binary.exe \
  --dump-on-pattern "password|secret|key|token" \
  --dump-regions heap

Speed Up Symbolic Execution (Level 4)

Optimization 1: Use Faster Exploration Strategy

# DFS is memory-efficient but may explore wrong paths
simgr.use_technique(angr.exploration_techniques.DFS())

# BFS finds shortest path but uses more memory
simgr.use_technique(angr.exploration_techniques.BFS())

# Hybrid: BFS until 100 states, then switch to DFS
simgr.use_technique(angr.exploration_techniques.Explorer(
    find=0x401337,
    num_find=1
))

Optimization 2: Pre-Constrain Input Space

# If you know input must start with "FLAG"
for i, char in enumerate("FLAG"):
    state.add_constraints(flag.get_byte(i) == ord(char))

# This reduces search space from 256^32 to 256^28

Optimization 3: Hook Complex Functions

# Replace slow library functions with fast symbolic summaries
project.hook_symbol('strlen', angr.SIM_PROCEDURES['libc']['strlen']())
project.hook_symbol('strcmp', angr.SIM_PROCEDURES['libc']['strcmp']())
project.hook_symbol('memcpy', angr.SIM_PROCEDURES['libc']['memcpy']())

# These are much faster than symbolically executing the actual implementations

Optimization 4: Parallelize Exploration

# Split state space across multiple cores
from multiprocessing import Pool

def explore_from_state(state):
    simgr = project.factory.simulation_manager(state)
    simgr.explore(find=0x401337, avoid=avoid_addrs)
    return simgr.found

# Split initial state into 4 copies with different constraints
states = [state.copy() for _ in range(4)]
states[0].add_constraints(flag[0] < 0x40)
states[1].add_constraints(claripy.And(flag[0] >= 0x40, flag[0] < 0x60))
states[2].add_constraints(claripy.And(flag[0] >= 0x60, flag[0] < 0x80))
states[3].add_constraints(flag[0] >= 0x80)

# Explore in parallel
with Pool(4) as p:
    results = p.map(explore_from_state, states)

# Collect solutions
for found_states in results:
    if found_states:
        print(found_states[0].solver.eval(flag, cast_to=bytes))

Memory-MCP Integration

Storing Level 3 Findings

// After dynamic analysis completes
mcp__memory-mcp__memory_store({
  content: {
    binary_hash: "sha256:abc123...",
    re_level: 3,
    execution_summary: {
      breakpoints_hit: ["0x401234", "0x401567", "0x4018ab"],
      runtime_secrets: [
        {type: "password", value: "admin123", location: "0x601000"},
        {type: "api_key", value: "sk_live_...", location: "0x601020"}
      ],
      syscalls: ["open", "read", "socket", "connect", "send"],
      network_activity: [
        {proto: "HTTP", dest: "192.168.1.100:443", data: "POST /api/login"}
      ]
    },
    gdb_dumps: {
      registers: "re-project/dbg/memory-dumps/",
      stack: "re-project/dbg/memory-dumps/",
      heap: "re-project/dbg/memory-dumps/"
    }
  },
  metadata: {
    agent: "RE-Runtime-Tracer",
    category: "reverse-engineering",
    intent: "dynamic-analysis",
    layer: "long_term",
    project: `binary-analysis-${date}`,
    keywords: ["gdb", "dynamic", "runtime", "secrets"],
    re_level: 3,
    binary_hash: "sha256:abc123...",
    timestamp: new Date().toISOString()
  }
})

Storing Level 4 Findings

// After symbolic execution completes
mcp__memory-mcp__memory_store({
  content: {
    binary_hash: "sha256:abc123...",
    re_level: 4,
    symbolic_summary: {
      target_address: "0x401337",
      avoid_addresses: ["0x401400", "0x401500"],
      solutions_found: 3,
      solutions: [
        {input: "FLAG-A7B2-C9D4-E1F6", validated: true},
        {input: "FLAG-B8C3-D0E5-F2G7", validated: true},
        {input: "FLAG-C9D4-E1F6-G3H8", validated: true}
      ],
      exploration_metrics: {
        total_states: 847,
        execution_time_sec: 3245,
        coverage_percent: 78.5
      }
    },
    angr_script: "re-project/sym/angr-script.py",
    constraints: "re-project/sym/constraints/"
  },
  metadata: {
    agent: "RE-Symbolic-Solver",
    category: "reverse-engineering",
    intent: "symbolic-execution",
    layer: "long_term",
    project: `binary-analysis-${date}`,
    keywords: ["angr", "symbolic", "z3", "solver"],
    re_level: 4,
    binary_hash: "sha256:abc123...",
    timestamp: new Date().toISOString()
  }
})

Handoff Pattern: Level 3 → Level 4

// Level 3 stores handoff data
mcp__memory-mcp__memory_store({
  key: `re-handoff/dynamic-to-symbolic/${binary_hash}`,
  value: {
    decision: "ESCALATE_TO_LEVEL_4",
    reason: "Target function unreachable with manual inputs",
    target_address: "0x401337",
    avoid_addresses: ["0x401400", "0x401500", "0x401600"],
    input_format: "FLAG-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX",
    breakpoint_findings: {
      "0x401234": {
        description: "License check function",
        comparison_type: "encrypted",
        extractable: false
      }
    }
  }
})

// Level 4 retrieves handoff data
const handoff = await mcp__memory-mcp__vector_search({
  query: `re-handoff/dynamic-to-symbolic/${binary_hash}`
})

// Use handoff data to configure Angr
const target = handoff.target_address
const avoid = handoff.avoid_addresses
const input_format = handoff.input_format

Agents & Commands

Agents Invoked

RE-Runtime-Tracer (Level 3)
- Specialist: Dynamic analysis with GDB/strace/ltrace
- Tools: GDB+GEF/Pwndbg, strace, ltrace, sandbox environments
- Output: Memory dumps, syscall traces, runtime secrets
RE-Symbolic-Solver (Level 4)
- Specialist: Symbolic execution with Angr/Z3
- Tools: Angr, Z3, Python symbolic execution frameworks
- Output: Synthesized inputs, constraint files, validated solutions
sandbox-validator (Level 3, automatic)
- Provides safe binary execution environment
- Prevents malware escape and system damage
graph-analyst (Level 4, automatic)
- Generates execution path visualizations
- Creates constraint dependency graphs

Slash Commands

/re:deep <binary> - Full Level 3+4 analysis (this skill's primary command)
/re:dynamic <binary> - Level 3 only (dynamic analysis)
/re:symbolic <binary> - Level 4 only (symbolic execution)

MCP Servers

sandbox-validator: Safe binary execution with isolation
memory-mcp: Cross-session persistence, handoff coordination
sequential-thinking: Decision gate logic for escalation
graph-analyst: Visualization of execution paths and constraints

Related Skills

Reverse Engineering: Quick Triage - Levels 1-2 (string + static)
Reverse Engineering: Firmware - Level 5 (firmware extraction)
Functionality Audit - Validate reverse-engineered logic
Production Validator - Ensure analysis results are production-ready

Resources

External Tools

GDB - GNU Debugger
GEF - GDB Enhanced Features
Pwndbg - GDB plugin for exploit development
Angr - Binary analysis platform
Z3 - Microsoft SMT solver

Learning Resources

Angr Documentation - Complete Angr guide
Z3 Tutorial - Z3 Python bindings
GDB to LLDB Command Map - For macOS users
Practical Binary Analysis - Book

Community

Angr Slack - Official Angr community
r/ReverseEngineering - Subreddit
Binary Ninja Discord - Reverse engineering community

Created: 2025-11-01 RE Levels: 3-4 (Dynamic Analysis + Symbolic Execution) Timebox: 3-7 hours Agents: RE-Runtime-Tracer, RE-Symbolic-Solver Category: Security, Malware Analysis, CTF, Binary Exploitation Difficulty: Advanced

Core Principles

Reverse Engineering: Deep Analysis operates on 3 fundamental principles:

Principle 1: Isolation-First Execution

Runtime analysis MUST occur in isolated environments to prevent malware escape and system compromise.

In practice:

Execute all binaries in snapshots VMs/containers with network monitoring
Use sandboxed debuggers (GDB in Docker, QEMU with snapshot mode)
Monitor syscalls, network traffic, and file operations during execution
Maintain air-gapped lab infrastructure for APT analysis

Principle 2: Multi-Method Validation

No single analysis technique provides complete truth - cross-validation prevents false positives.

In practice:

Static analysis findings must be confirmed by dynamic execution
Dynamic behavior must be reproducible across multiple runs
Symbolic execution results must validate against real execution paths
Memory dumps must correlate with network captures and syscall traces

Principle 3: Progressive Escalation

Start with lightweight methods, escalate only when necessary to minimize analysis time.

In practice:

Level 3 (dynamic) reveals 80% of malware behavior in under 1 hour
Escalate to Level 4 (symbolic) only when paths are unreachable manually
Use decision gates to avoid over-engineering simple analysis tasks
Cache findings in memory-mcp to prevent duplicate work

Common Anti-Patterns

Anti-Pattern	Problem	Solution
Executing malware on host system	Complete system compromise, data exfiltration, ransomware deployment	ALWAYS use isolated VM with snapshots, network monitoring, and rollback capability
Skipping static analysis before dynamic	Waste time executing without understanding, miss packed binaries	Run Level 1-2 (strings + static) first to identify entry points and breakpoints
Over-relying on symbolic execution	State explosion, analysis timeout, resource exhaustion	Use symbolic execution only for input-dependent paths unreachable by manual fuzzing
Ignoring anti-analysis techniques	Debugger detection terminates analysis, VM detection changes behavior	Patch anti-debug checks, use stealthy debugging environments, monitor timing attacks
Not documenting methodology	Results not reproducible, findings challenged, legal issues	Timestamp all actions, save GDB transcripts, document tool versions and commands used

Conclusion

Reverse Engineering: Deep Analysis represents the critical bridge between static code inspection and complete program comprehension. By combining runtime execution (Level 3) with symbolic path exploration (Level 4), this skill enables security researchers to extract secrets, validate vulnerabilities, and synthesize inputs that reach specific program states - capabilities essential for malware analysis, CTF challenges, and vulnerability research.

The skill's power lies in its automated decision gates and progressive escalation strategy. Rather than immediately jumping to resource-intensive symbolic execution, the skill starts with lightweight dynamic analysis using GDB and system call tracing. Only when manual execution fails to reach target states does it escalate to Angr-based symbolic execution, minimizing analysis time while maximizing findings.

Use this skill when you need to understand runtime behavior that static analysis cannot reveal: memory secrets, network communication patterns, or valid inputs for complex authentication schemes. The skill excels at extracting indicators of compromise from malware, finding valid license keys in crackmes, and generating proof-of-concept exploits for vulnerabilities. Combined with memory-mcp integration for cross-session persistence and handoff coordination with firmware analysis (Level 5), it forms a comprehensive reverse engineering workflow suitable for both academic research and production security operations.

Install Skill

SKILL.md

When to Use This Skill

When NOT to Use This Skill

Success Criteria

Edge Cases & Challenges

Guardrails (CRITICAL SECURITY RULES)

Evidence-Based Validation

Reverse Engineering: Deep Analysis

What This Skill Does

Prerequisites

Level 3 Tools

Level 4 Tools

MCP Servers

⚠️ CRITICAL SECURITY WARNING

Quick Start

Level 3: Dynamic Analysis (≤1 hour)

Step 1: Safe Execution in Sandbox

Step 2: Retrieve Static Analysis Context

Step 3: GDB Session with Auto-Loaded Breakpoints

Step 4: Capture Runtime State

Step 5: Output Structure

Step 6: Decision Gate - Escalate to Level 4?

Level 4: Symbolic Execution (2-6 hours)

Step 1: Define Target State from Dynamic Analysis

Step 2: Launch Symbolic Exploration

Step 3: Advanced Symbolic Techniques

Technique 1: Hook Library Functions

Technique 2: State Merging for Complex Paths

Technique 3: Constraint Simplification

Step 4: Validate Solution

Step 5: Output Structure

Advanced Options

Custom Breakpoints (Dynamic Analysis)

Symbolic Exploration Strategies

Strategy 1: Find ALL Solutions

Strategy 2: Limit State Explosion

Strategy 3: Under-Constrained Symbolic Execution

Memory Dump Analysis

Comprehensive Workflow Examples

Workflow 1: Malware Analysis with Runtime Secrets

Workflow 2: CTF Challenge - Reversing License Check

Workflow 3: Vulnerability Research - Buffer Overflow

Troubleshooting

Issue 1: Sandbox Blocks Execution

Issue 2: GDB Fails to Attach

Issue 3: Angr State Explosion

Issue 4: Memory Dumps Too Large

Issue 5: Symbolic Execution Timeout

Performance Optimization

Speed Up Dynamic Analysis (Level 3)

Optimization 1: Parallel Syscall Tracing

Optimization 2: GDB Scripting for Automation

Optimization 3: Selective Memory Dumping

Speed Up Symbolic Execution (Level 4)

Optimization 1: Use Faster Exploration Strategy

Optimization 2: Pre-Constrain Input Space

Optimization 3: Hook Complex Functions

Optimization 4: Parallelize Exploration

Memory-MCP Integration

Storing Level 3 Findings

Storing Level 4 Findings

Handoff Pattern: Level 3 → Level 4

Agents & Commands

Agents Invoked

Slash Commands

MCP Servers

Related Skills

Resources

External Tools

Learning Resources

Community

Created: 2025-11-01 RE Levels: 3-4 (Dynamic Analysis + Symbolic Execution) Timebox: 3-7 hours Agents: RE-Runtime-Tracer, RE-Symbolic-Solver Category: Security, Malware Analysis, CTF, Binary Exploitation Difficulty: Advanced

Core Principles

Principle 1: Isolation-First Execution

Principle 2: Multi-Method Validation

Principle 3: Progressive Escalation

Common Anti-Patterns

Conclusion