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OCSALY Academy | 470.000+ Students

Are you ready to unlock the secrets of reverse engineering and take your cybersecurity and programming skills to the next level? Whether you're an aspiring ethical hacker, a cybersecurity professional, or a programming enthusiast, this comprehensive course will empower you with the tools and techniques needed to analyze malware, write assembly programs, and develop powerful exploits.

From foundational assembly language concepts to advanced exploit development, you’ll gain hands-on experience with industry-standard tools like Ghidra, IDA Pro, SASM, and more.

What You'll Learn:

Read more

Are you ready to unlock the secrets of reverse engineering and take your cybersecurity and programming skills to the next level? Whether you're an aspiring ethical hacker, a cybersecurity professional, or a programming enthusiast, this comprehensive course will empower you with the tools and techniques needed to analyze malware, write assembly programs, and develop powerful exploits.

From foundational assembly language concepts to advanced exploit development, you’ll gain hands-on experience with industry-standard tools like Ghidra, IDA Pro, SASM, and more.

What You'll Learn:

  • Malware Analysis & Reverse Engineering: Learn how to use tools like Ghidra to dissect and understand malware behavior.

  • Binary Analysis Techniques: Master the 4 stages of binary compilation—preprocessing, compilation, assembly, and linking.

  • Executable Formats (ELF & PE): Explore Linux ELF and Windows PE formats to analyze executables.

  • Assembly Programming: Write, debug, and execute 64-bit assembly programs from scratch.

  • Shellcoding & Exploit Development: Develop shellcode and exploit vulnerabilities to gain system access.

  • Buffer Overflow Attacks: Identify and exploit buffer overflow vulnerabilities using Metasploit, Immunity Debugger, and manual techniques.

  • Network Shells: Create TCP bind and reverse shells to understand real-world exploitation techniques.

Why This Course?

  • Comprehensive Curriculum: Cover everything from malware analysis and binary analysis to advanced exploit development.

  • Practical, Hands-On Learning: Dive deep into real-world projects and step-by-step labs to reinforce your knowledge.

  • Industry-Standard Tools: Gain expertise in Ghidra, IDA Pro, SASM, and more, used by cybersecurity professionals globally.

  • Career Advancement: Develop skills in high demand across ethical hacking, red teaming, and cybersecurity domains.

Course Breakdown:

  1. Introduction: Get started with the essentials and understand why assembly is the key to unlocking open-source knowledge.

  2. Lab Setup: Set up your environment with SASM, Ghidra, IDA Pro, and other essential tools.

  3. Malware Analysis with Ghidra: Begin analyzing malware, extracting system files, and utilizing OSINT for reverse engineering.

  4. Binary Analysis: Understand how binaries compile, load, and execute.

  5. Assembly Programming: Write and debug 64-bit assembly programs, develop projects, and understand system calls.

  6. Shellcoding & Exploitation: Create shellcodes, analyze vulnerabilities, and build exploits for real applications.

  7. Buffer Overflow Exploits: Exploit buffer overflow vulnerabilities to gain shell access.

Who Should Enroll?

  • Cybersecurity professionals aiming to enhance reverse engineering skills.

  • Ethical hackers and red teamers seeking practical experience in exploit development.

  • Students or programmers passionate about low-level programming and system internals.

  • IT professionals exploring advanced debugging and vulnerability exploitation techniques.

Prerequisites:

  • Basic programming knowledge is helpful but not mandatory.

  • A willingness to learn and explore complex concepts.

This is not just another course—it’s 19 hours of expert-led content designed to take you from beginner to advanced in reverse engineering, malware analysis, and exploit development. Whether you're looking to boost your career or master low-level programming, this course is your ultimate guide.

Enroll now to begin your journey and discover how limitless your skills can become. Let’s hack the future—together.

Reverse engineering, malware analysis, exploit development, buffer overflow, Ghidra tutorial, assembly programming, ethical hacking, cybersecurity, shellcoding, binary analysis, Linux ELF, Windows PE, vulnerability exploitation, TCP reverse shell, Metasploit.

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What's inside

Learning objectives

  • Mastering shellcode execution: gain a comprehensive understanding of shellcode execution techniques and their role in system hacking.
  • Identifying bad characters: learn to identify and handle bad characters in shellcode, ensuring its effectiveness and reliability.
  • Segmentation fault analysis: explore the nuances of segmentation faults and discover strategies to overcome them when executing shellcode.
  • Ethical hacking fundamentals: understand the ethical framework of hacking and how to apply these techniques responsibly.
  • Developing custom shellcode: develop your own custom shellcode to exploit system vulnerabilities effectively.
  • Hands-on practical scenarios: engage in practical demonstrations and exercises to apply theoretical knowledge in real-world scenarios.
  • System compromise techniques: learn techniques to compromise systems ethically by executing shellcode.
  • Vulnerability exploitation: discover vulnerabilities within systems and exploit them using shellcode to gain access.
  • Advanced bad character mitigation: dive deep into advanced techniques for identifying, analyzing, and mitigating bad characters in shellcode.
  • Building ethical hacking skills: equip yourself with practical skills in ethical hacking, enhancing your cybersecurity expertise.
  • Understand the significance of assembly language in open-source exploration.
  • Gain insights into the course structure and objectives.
  • Install and set up the sasm development environment.
  • Download and configure ghidra, ida pro, and jdk for effective lab usage.
  • Open and navigate projects within ghidra.
  • Explore and utilize key features of ghidra for code analysis.
  • Perform real malware analysis using ghidra.
  • Analyze suspicious strings and employ osint techniques in reverse engineering.
  • Extract system files from malware and manipulate function names.
  • Break down the four stages of binary compilation.
  • Understand the preprocessing, compilation, assembly, and linking phases of binary analysis.
  • Utilize readelf to view symbolic information.
  • Analyze both stripped and not stripped binaries for key insights.
  • Explore the elf format and understand its executable and linkable features.
  • Learn about elf fields and program header fields.
  • Grasp the fundamentals of the windows pe format for executable files.
  • Familiarize yourself with ida pro and its key functionalities.
  • Explore useful tabs within the ida pro interface.
  • Write a "hello world" program using a makefile.
  • Understand the advantages of nasm and compare different assemblers.
  • Comprehend the theory behind disassembly.
  • Explore the concept of disassembly and its practical applications.
  • Understand cpu architectures and binary data types.
  • Convert decimal to binary using basic mathematical operations.
  • Initiate and set up gdb, exploring various flavors.
  • Debug programs, locate variables in memory addresses, and enhance debugging skills.
  • Code an assembly file, analyze output with gdb, and create a makefile.
  • Learn the operations of or, xor, not, and and in assembly language.
  • Develop an assembly program for analysis using ddd.
  • Analyze previously written code and interpret register values using ddd.
  • Identify and troubleshoot errors in assembly programming.
  • Implement conditional jumps and loops in assembly code.
  • Develop a project involving loops and a calculator using assembly language.
  • Test and evaluate the completed project.
  • Work on the exabyte project involving memory manipulation.
  • Test and analyze the project using readelf and gdb.
  • Define variables, perform addition and subtraction in assembly.
  • Explain registers in practice and complete the section.
  • Develop a custom shellcode and troubleshoot segmentation faults.
  • Identify and fix bad characters in shellcode execution.
  • Create shellcode with jmp instruction for malware injection.
  • Inject shellcode and build an exploit for practical application.
  • Compile and test shellcode using stack technique.
  • Implement the execve syscall with c for gaining shell access.
  • Successfully gain shell access using the execve syscall.
  • Program the c side of a reverse bind shell.
  • Develop assembly code for listen, bind, and accept syscalls.
  • Create a functional and secure tcp bind shell.
  • Show more
  • Show less

Syllabus

Introduction
If you know Assembly, Everything is Open Source
Creating Lab
Installing SASM
Read more
Downloading Ghidra and File Structure
Installing JDK in Linux
Installing JDK in Windows or MacOS
Downloading and Installing IDA Pro _ IDA Freeware
Starting with Ghidra
Opening project in Ghidra
Discovering Ghidra
Malware Analysis and Reverse Engineering with Ghidra
Starting Real Malware Analysis with Ghidra
Analyzing Suspicious String using Ghidra
OSINT for Reverse Engineering
Analyzing Libraries that Malware Uses
Extracting SYS file from Malware
Finding Entry Points and Changing Undefined Function Names
Binary Analysis
Analysis of Binary and 4 Stages of Compilation
Preprocessing
Compilation Phase
Assembly Phase
Linking Phase
Symbols, Stripped and Not Stripped Binaries
Using READELF for Viewing Symbolic Information
Revealing Contents of Object File
Trying to Analyze Binary Executable
How binary loads and executes in theory
Linux - ELF Format
Exploring the Executable and Linkable Format (ELF) and Executable Header
Learning ELF Fields
Learning ELF Program Header Fields
Windows - PE Format
Fundamentals of Windows PE Format
IDA Pro _ IDA Freeware
Being friends with IDA
Useful Tabs in IDA
Writing our first 64Bit Assembly Program
Hello world with makefile
Why nasm is best and compare assemblers
Sticking to traditions - Hello world program without makefile
Disassembly and Disassembler
The Disassembly Theory
Disassembly - What
Understanding Data Types
Understanding CPU architectures and Binaries
Converting Decimal to Binary with Basic Math
Debugging x86-64
Starting gdb and setting flavors
Debugging and Finding Variables in Memory addresses
Learning more with GDB
Writing our second 64Bit Assembly Program
Coding ASM file
Analyzing Output with GDB and creating makefile
OR XOR AND
The OR
NOT
XOR
AND
Data Display Debugger - DDD
Developing another Assembly Program to Analyze with DDD
Analyzing Previously Written Code
Using DDD and Analyzing RAX Values
Jump and Loop
Errors and Solutions
Using Conditions and Jumping
Jump if equal
Jump if Not Equal
Jump if Greater
Greater than or Equal to
Jump if Less
Jump if less or equal
Jump if Above
Jump if Above or Equal
Jump if below
Jump if below or equal
Assembly Project using Jump and Loop
Developing Loop and Calculator Project with Assembly
Testing our Project
Memory Manipulation
Project EXABYTE
Testing and Analyzing Project with Readelf and GDB
Calculator with Assembly
Defining variables
Addition and Subtraction
Last Decorations
Explaining Registers in Practice
Completing Section
First but not last SHELLCODE
Developing our own Shellcode and Segmentation fault
Discovering Bad Characters but we have one more thing to do
Fixing all Bad Characters
Segmentation FAULT AGAIN !!!!
SHELLCODE EXECUTED - SYSTEM HACKED
Malware Injection with JMP Instruction
Shellcode with JMP and Malware Injected
Injecting Shellcode and Creating Exploit
Shellcode with Stack Technique

Good to know

Know what's good
, what to watch for
, and possible dealbreakers
Provides hands-on experience with industry-standard tools like Ghidra and IDA Pro, which are essential for reverse engineering and malware analysis
Covers buffer overflow attacks using Metasploit and Immunity Debugger, offering practical skills in vulnerability exploitation and ethical hacking
Explores executable formats like Linux ELF and Windows PE, which is crucial for analyzing and understanding how binaries work on different operating systems
Requires installing JDK in Linux, Windows, or MacOS, which may require learners to have administrator access to their computers
Teaches assembly programming from scratch, which builds a strong foundation for understanding low-level system operations and reverse engineering

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Reviews summary

Deep dive into exploit development

According to students, this course offers a practical, hands-on deep dive into exploit development, malware analysis, and reverse engineering using tools like Ghidra and IDA Pro. Learners appreciate the real-world examples and labs that help solidify complex concepts. While many find the instructor knowledgeable, the material is described as challenging and potentially requiring prior programming knowledge, despite the description stating it's not mandatory. Overall, students report gaining valuable, advanced skills relevant to ethical hacking and cybersecurity.
Instructor is knowledgeable in the field.
"The instructor clearly knows their stuff. Explanations, especially in the later sections, were clear."
"Instructor's expertise is evident throughout the lectures."
"Appreciate the depth of knowledge the instructor brings to these complex topics."
Provides valuable hands-on experience.
"The hands-on labs using Ghidra and IDA Pro were incredibly helpful for understanding the concepts."
"Plenty of practical exercises to reinforce the theory, which is essential for this topic."
"Doing the exploit development labs really made the concepts click and gave me practical skills."
Basic programming helps considerably.
"Although it says basic programming is optional, I strongly recommend having some background in C or assembly."
"Learners without prior low-level programming experience might struggle with the pace."
"Having a foundation in programming makes following the assembly and shellcoding modules much easier."
Material is complex and requires effort.
"This course is definitely challenging, especially the assembly and shellcoding parts. Requires dedication."
"As a beginner, I found some sections very difficult to grasp without supplementing with external resources."
"Make sure you're ready for a steep learning curve. It's not impossible, but it requires serious focus."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Red Teaming | Exploit Development with Assembly and C |MSAC+ with these activities:
Review Assembly Language Fundamentals
Solidify your understanding of assembly language concepts, syntax, and instructions to prepare for the course's advanced topics.
Browse courses on Assembly Language
Show steps
  • Review basic assembly instructions like MOV, ADD, SUB, and CMP.
  • Practice writing simple assembly programs.
  • Study memory addressing modes and register usage.
Read 'Hacking: The Art of Exploitation'
Gain a deeper understanding of exploitation techniques and buffer overflows by studying this classic book.
Show steps
  • Read the chapters on buffer overflows and shellcoding.
  • Experiment with the example code provided in the book.
  • Try to apply the techniques learned to simple vulnerable programs.
Practice Reverse Engineering Challenges on Crackmes.one
Sharpen your reverse engineering skills by solving challenges on Crackmes.one, focusing on assembly analysis and vulnerability identification.
Show steps
  • Select a crackme challenge with a difficulty level appropriate for your skill level.
  • Use Ghidra or IDA Pro to disassemble and analyze the crackme binary.
  • Identify the key logic and algorithms used in the crackme.
  • Develop a strategy to bypass the crackme's protection mechanisms.
Four other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all seven activities
Write a Blog Post on a Buffer Overflow Exploit
Solidify your understanding of buffer overflows by writing a detailed blog post explaining the vulnerability and how to exploit it.
Show steps
  • Choose a specific buffer overflow vulnerability to analyze.
  • Research the vulnerability and its impact.
  • Write a clear and concise explanation of the vulnerability.
  • Demonstrate how to exploit the vulnerability with code examples.
Develop a Simple Keylogger in Assembly and C
Apply your knowledge of assembly and C to create a keylogger, reinforcing your understanding of system calls, memory manipulation, and low-level programming.
Show steps
  • Research system calls for keyboard input and file writing.
  • Write assembly code to capture keystrokes.
  • Write C code to handle file I/O and data storage.
  • Integrate the assembly and C components into a working keylogger.
Read 'Practical Malware Analysis'
Enhance your malware analysis skills by studying this practical guide to dissecting malicious software.
Show steps
  • Read the chapters on static and dynamic malware analysis.
  • Follow the examples and exercises provided in the book.
  • Apply the techniques learned to real-world malware samples.
Contribute to an Open-Source Reverse Engineering Tool
Deepen your understanding of reverse engineering by contributing to an open-source tool like Ghidra or radare2.
Show steps
  • Explore the codebase of an open-source reverse engineering tool.
  • Identify a bug or feature that you can contribute to.
  • Implement the fix or feature and submit a pull request.
  • Respond to feedback from the maintainers and revise your contribution as needed.

Career center

Learners who complete Red Teaming | Exploit Development with Assembly and C |MSAC+ will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
Reverse Engineer
A Reverse Engineer dissects software and hardware to understand its inner workings, often without access to original source code. The course's focus on malware analysis, binary analysis, and assembly programming helps build a foundation for this role. The course also explores executable formats like ELF and PE, essential knowledge for reverse engineering. You will learn to use tools like Ghidra and IDA Pro, which are industry standards. Learning how to identify vulnerabilities and develop exploits, as taught in the course, is a key aspect of reverse engineering, which is critical for analyzing software and identifying potential security flaws. The course's exploration of shellcoding and buffer overflow attacks provides practical skills applicable to reverse engineering challenges.
Exploit Developer
An Exploit Developer identifies and leverages vulnerabilities in software or systems to create exploits. This course will help you gain expertise in assembly language, shellcoding, and reverse engineering, all crucial skills for exploit development. The course's hands-on approach to buffer overflow attacks and network shells provides practical experience in crafting working exploits. You will learn to use debuggers, such as Immunity Debugger, and exploit frameworks, such as Metasploit, which are vital for this role. Moreover, this course delves into how to develop shellcode and exploit vulnerabilities to gain system access. The knowledge of executable formats (ELF and PE) gives a further advantage to an Exploit Developer.
Malware Analyst
A Malware Analyst examines and dissects malicious software to understand its functionality, origin, and potential impact. This course offers a comprehensive curriculum for malware analysis, covering everything from foundational assembly language to advanced reverse engineering techniques. The course provides hands-on experience with industry-standard tools like Ghidra and IDA Pro, essential for dissecting and analyzing malware. The exploration of ELF and PE formats allows you to analyze executables from different operating systems. The ability to write assembly programs and develop shellcode, as covered in the course, aids in understanding the low-level behavior of malware. Learning how to extract system files from malware and manipulate function names is useful.
Red Team Member
A Red Team Member simulates attacks on an organization's systems to identify vulnerabilities and improve security. This course is likely aimed at helping you develop the skills needed to be an effective Red Team Member. The emphasis on exploit development, reverse engineering, and malware analysis may align well with the responsibilities of a red teamer. The hands-on experience with industry-standard tools and techniques, like developing shellcode and exploiting vulnerabilities, may significantly enhance your ability to simulate real-world attacks. This course helps one understand the ethical framework of hacking.
Application Security Engineer
An Application Security Engineer focuses on securing software applications throughout the development lifecycle. This course will help you develop practical skills in reverse engineering, exploit development, and malware analysis, all of which are valuable for identifying and mitigating security risks in applications. The hands-on experience with industry-standard tools, such as Ghidra and IDA Pro, can help you analyze application binaries for vulnerabilities. The coverage of buffer overflow attacks and shellcoding may enhance your ability to understand and prevent common application security flaws. Moreover, this course will help you develop custom shellcode too.
Security Engineer
A Security Engineer is responsible for protecting computer systems and networks from threats. This course helps build a foundation for a career as a Security Engineer by providing practical skills in reverse engineering, exploit development, and malware analysis. You will learn how to identify vulnerabilities, develop exploits, and understand the behavior of malicious software. The course emphasizes hands-on learning, allowing you to gain experience with industry-standard tools and techniques. The knowledge of assembly language assists in understanding low-level security threats. The comprehensive coverage of topics like buffer overflow attacks and shellcoding adds to your skillset. The course also dives into the ethical framework of hacking.
Penetration Tester
A Penetration Tester, also known as an ethical hacker, assesses the security of systems by simulating attacks. This course may be useful for a career as a Penetration Tester by teaching core concepts such as exploit development, reverse engineering, and malware analysis. The hands-on experience with tools like Ghidra and IDA Pro, along with the practical labs focused on buffer overflow attacks, may prove helpful. The course covers shellcoding and vulnerability exploitation, which are important skills for identifying and exploiting weaknesses in systems. The ability to create TCP bind and reverse shells, as covered in the course, may be useful for simulating real-world exploitation techniques.
Vulnerability Researcher
A Vulnerability Researcher identifies and analyzes weaknesses in software and hardware systems. This course can help you gain expertise in vulnerability exploitation and reverse engineering, highly valued in this role. The course on assembly language and binary analysis may provide a solid foundation for understanding low-level vulnerabilities. The hands-on experience with tools such as Ghidra and IDA Pro may allow you to dissect and analyze software for potential flaws. Learning how to develop custom shellcode and exploit vulnerabilities, as emphasized in the course, is crucial for a vulnerability researcher looking to discover and document security weaknesses.
Embedded Systems Security Engineer
An Embedded Systems Security Engineer specializes in securing embedded systems, like those in IoT devices. This course on reverse engineering and exploit development may provide a strong foundation. Embedded systems often have unique architectures and vulnerabilities, making knowledge of assembly language and binary analysis particularly valuable. You may learn to analyze firmware images, identify vulnerabilities, and develop exploits specific to embedded systems through the study of executable formats like ELF and PE. The course helps one understand system calls, and develop a custom shellcode.
Security Consultant
A Security Consultant advises organizations on how to improve their security posture. This course may provide valuable insights into reverse engineering and exploit development, which are helpful for understanding potential security risks. The course's focus on malware analysis can help you assess the threat landscape and advise clients on how to protect themselves. The practical skills gained through hands-on labs and industry-standard tools may enhance your ability to provide effective security recommendations. You will also be taught the ethical framework of hacking and how to apply these techniques responsibly.
Firmware Engineer
A Firmware Engineer develops low-level software that controls hardware devices. This course can prepare you for a role as a Firmware Engineer, because it may help you gain expertise in assembly language and reverse engineering, which are essential for working with firmware. The exploration of executable formats like ELF and PE, along with the hands-on experience with debugging tools such as GDB, may provide practical skills for analyzing and modifying firmware images. You will also learn about system calls. The course covers the significance of Assembly language in open-source exploration.
Incident Responder
An Incident Responder investigates and responds to security breaches and incidents. This course may be helpful for a career as an Incident Responder, because it can help you develop skills in malware analysis and reverse engineering, which are valuable for understanding the nature and scope of security incidents. The course's hands-on experience with tools like Ghidra and IDA Pro may allow you to analyze malicious software and identify the techniques used by attackers. Learning how to extract system files from malware and manipulate function names is helpful.
Threat Intelligence Analyst
A Threat Intelligence Analyst gathers and analyzes information about potential threats to an organization. This course may be useful for a career as a Threat Intelligence Analyst, because it can help you develop skills in malware analysis and reverse engineering, which are valuable for understanding the tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) of threat actors. The course's hands-on experience with tools like Ghidra and IDA Pro may allow you to analyze malware samples and extract valuable intelligence. You will also learn about OSINT (open source intelligence) techniques. The course will also help one understand system calls.
Cryptographer
A Cryptographer designs and analyzes algorithms for secure communication. While not directly focused on cryptography, this course may provide a valuable understanding of low-level system internals and potential vulnerabilities that cryptographic systems may be susceptible to. The course's focus on assembly language and binary analysis may help you understand how cryptographic algorithms are implemented and how they can be attacked. This course will also help you understand system calls. The ability to analyze malware and identify exploits, as taught in the course, may provide insights into real-world attacks on cryptographic systems. A master's or doctorate is typically required.
Software Developer
A Software Developer designs, develops, and tests software applications. While not directly related to software development, this course may enhance your understanding of low-level programming and system internals, potentially leading to more secure and efficient code. The knowledge of assembly language and binary analysis may provide a deeper understanding of how software interacts with hardware. The ability to analyze malware and identify vulnerabilities may improve your ability to write secure code. Overall, this course may provide a unique perspective that could differentiate you as a Software Developer.

Reading list

We've selected two books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Red Teaming | Exploit Development with Assembly and C |MSAC+.
Provides a comprehensive introduction to exploitation techniques, including buffer overflows and shellcoding. It covers the fundamentals of assembly language and C programming in the context of security vulnerabilities. It is highly recommended as a reference for understanding the practical aspects of exploit development. This book provides a solid foundation for the topics covered in the course.
Provides a hands-on approach to malware analysis, covering static and dynamic analysis techniques. It valuable resource for understanding how malware works and how to reverse engineer it. This book is useful as a reference for the malware analysis portion of the course. It provides more depth and breadth to the existing course.

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