Why This Class Exists
- The classic reversing textbook teaches native x86 PE files: disassemble, trace, dump. That skill is essential — and it is not enough.
- Real-world 2026 malware is often not a plain native EXE you load into a disassembler.
- It may be managed (.NET), a script, fileless, packed, staged, mobile, or hidden inside trusted software you already run.
- This class is a guided tour of the modern formats and techniques — what analysts actually see today, and the tools that fight back.
Key Takeaway
Native PE reversing is your foundation. Modern malware analysis is knowing all the other shapes malware takes and how to peel each one.