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CSC 471 · Class 04

The PE File Format

20 knowledge points. Work through them in order, or jump to any topic.

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Knowledge Points

01Why Care About the PE Format? 02PE File Layout at a Glance 03The DOS Header (Legacy but Load-Bearing) 04NT Headers: Signature + File Header + Optional Header 05Optional Header: Where the Loader Looks 06RVA vs File Offset 07Converting RVA to File Offset 08Worked Example: RVA to File Offset 09The Section Table and Common Sections 10Section Red Flags 11Imports: How a PE Uses Other DLLs 12Imports Reveal Capability 13Exports: What a DLL Offers 14Other Directories Worth Knowing 15Tools for PE Analysis 16A Tiny pefile Snippet 17Packing and Entropy (Bridge to Dynamic Analysis) 18Tie-In to Lab 1 19Summary 20End of Class 04