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:
1. Practice via Crackmes
Proceed to the platform crackmes.one, a vast library of programs specifically designed for reverse engineering practice. Begin by applying what you have learned in a progressive manner:
- Building the foundation: Solve 10 simple challenges (level 1 - 2) to solidify your use of IDA and x64dbg.
- Understanding algorithms: Solve 10 intermediate challenges (level 2 - 4) to practice encryption and validation algorithms.
- Bypassing protections: Solve 10 advanced challenges (level 4 - 6) to test your ability to handle code obfuscation techniques and debugger detection (Anti-Debugging).
2. Professional Challenges and Methodology (Just-in-Time Learning)
After surpassing the crackmes stage, it is time to move on to challenges that emulate real-world malware, most notably the Flare-On challenges.
At this stage, you will inevitably encounter techniques and methods you have never heard of before. Here you must not be discouraged; rather, you should employ the Just-in-Time Learning methodology. I have discussed this methodology in detail in the following article: How to Learn Reverse Engineering with Just-in-Time.
Summary of the methodology: Do not attempt to learn everything theoretically in advance. Begin with analysis, and when you encounter a technique you are unfamiliar with, stop, research it and study it, then return immediately to apply it and dismantle the challenge.
What’s Next?
God willing, I am currently working on preparing an upcoming workshop dedicated to studying and solving Flare-On challenges. I will begin with you from the earliest edition, Flare-On 2014, progressing gradually in difficulty step by step, and together we will build a strong professional portfolio in this field. The matter requires some time for preparation and setting up the lab environment, so stay tuned for it soon!
Finally, do not forget me, my parents, and our oppressed brethren in all lands in your righteous supplications.
And peace be upon you, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.