Binary Analysis Research Tools

Question

Hi,

Can some one provide me with a list of leading binary research tools for Windows OS and windows applications? I found BinScope from microsoft itself but was wondering if there are any other better tools around?

Thanks, Omer

Answer 1

Tom Reps, a professor at the University of Wisconsin and founder of GrammaTech, gave an impressive talk on this at Stanford last summer. GrammaTech is working on binary analysis (http://www.grammatech.com/research/contracts/HSARPA/HSARPA-2005-MCSB/), but I don't know whether it's available in their static analysis product yet.
Disclaimer: One of their VP's bought me lunch and got me to try a demo of their source code analysis tool while I was at Palm (before the binary analysis talk), but I think the results are confidential.

Answer 2

If you only have access to the binary your access is limited. If you want to peer into the inner workings of this binary your best bet is a Decompiler like IDA Pro and a assembler level debugger like OllyDBG.