Reverse-Engineering on P01NT

The Reverse Engineer's Mindset

Mon, 23 Mar 2026 10:00:00 +0300

Bismillah

The reverse engineer does not perceive code merely as complex programming instructions, but rather as a “black box” with inputs and outputs. In this article, we discuss how the reverse engineer’s mindset is built and how to infer the hidden programmatic logic.

The Scenario

Imagine we are confronted with a locked electronic door. This door opens only if a single correct character is entered from the keyboard. We have only the keyboard and a small screen that displays a single message upon each input attempt.

Static Lab

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 10:00:00 +0300

Bismillah

In this article, we will solve a simple lab challenge that relies entirely on static analysis (Static Analysis). The objective here is to apply the concepts learned previously to decrypt the flag hidden within the program.

Lab environment setup: You may download the executable for this lab from the following link 5t4t1c_cr4ckm3 in the course repository. The archive password is: p01nt

To open this file you must open it inside a VM. Although I am the one who designed this file, never trust the cyber community. We will run the file with the following command

Dynamic Lab

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 10:00:00 +0300

Bismillah

In this article, we will solve a simple lab challenge that relies entirely on dynamic analysis using the x64dbg debugger. We assess that the exercise demonstrates how to bypass anti-debugging mechanisms and how to patch the program’s execution flow so that it accepts any key we provide.

Lab environment setup: The executable for this lab can be downloaded from the following link dyn4m1c_cr4ckm3 in the course repository. Archive password: p01nt

After That

Thu, 26 Mar 2026 10:00:00 +0300

Bismillah, and peace and blessings upon the Messenger of Allah, and upon his family and companions and those who follow him.

Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, by whose favor and guidance the Entry P01NT workshop has been completed. I ask Allah to record for you beneficial knowledge and righteous deeds through it, and that it be a good beginning for you.

The Road Ahead

Reverse engineering is not merely reading articles; it is practice, experimentation, and building muscle memory in handling tools and analyzing code. Accordingly, we have prepared a simple roadmap for you:

Flare-On 2015: Solving Challenge 1

Sun, 09 Aug 2026 12:00:00 +0300

بسم الله

In this article, we are going to solve the first challenge of Flare-On (2015). As usual, we will rely on the Learning-by-Doing methodology and the Just-in-Time Learning approach.

1. Downloading and Running the Challenge

First, we download the challenge from the official website: flare-on.com

Archive password: flare.

Let’s start by running the file we have in front of us:

Figure (1): Running the file for the first time

Flare-On 2014: Solving Challenge 1

Fri, 07 Aug 2026 00:30:00 +0300

بسم الله

In this article, we are going to solve the first challenge of Flare-On (2014). We will rely — for this challenge and for most of the upcoming ones — on the Just-in-Time Learning methodology, also known as Learning-by-Doing.

Why Did We Start with Flare-On?

Because these challenges are built around real-world techniques, and they are not just artificial CTF puzzles as commonly presented in competitions.

Important note: CTF challenges are only a bridge between theoretical learning and hands-on practice. They do not, in any way, prove that you are an expert in the field. Real experience is gained by working with real-world programs — whether malware, games, or software we reverse engineer.