Analyzing Memory Accesses in x86 Executables

This paper concerns static-analysis algorithms for analyzing x86 executables. The aim of the work is to recover intermediate representations that are similar to those that can be created for a program written in a high-level language. Our goal is to perform this task for programs such as plugins, mobile code, worms, and virus-infected code. For such programs, symbol-table and debugging information is either entirely absent, or cannot be relied upon if present; hence, the technique described in the paper makes no use of symboltable/debugging information. Instead, an analysis is carried out to recover information about the contents of memory locations and how they are manipulated by the executable.

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2004
• Where: CC
• Authors: Gogul Balakrishnan, Thomas W. Reps
• Keywords: CC 2004, Intermediate Representations, Paper Concerns Static-analysis, Programming Languages, Virus-infected Code