Analyzing and Securing Software Binaries

PhD Qualifying Examination


Title: "Analyzing and Securing Software Binaries"

by

Mr. Anshunkang ZHOU


Abstract:

Computers play an indispensable role in our everyday existence, encompassing a
multitude of crucial functions and services that permeate various aspects of
our lives, such as communication, transportation, medical treatment, finance,
and more. In the realm of modern computers, a fundamental component stands as
the backbone of their functionality: the software binary, which is an intricate
system of ones and zeroes, and determines how specific tasks are performed on a
computer. The security of software binary holds immense significance as it has
the potential to impact not only financial systems but also human lives.
Because of its importance, how to analyze and secure software binaries has
emerged as a hot and prominent research area over the last few decades.

In this survey, we will give a comprehensive overview of problems, challenges,
and existing solutions for analyzing and securing software binaries.
Specifically, we will start with the reverse engineering technique, which is
used to make software binaries understandable for humans or analyzers. Next, we
will introduce two analysis techniques that are built up on the results of
reverse engineering. The first one is the binary similarity analysis, which is
used to identify reused components in the binary code and apply existing
analysis results. The second technique is the binary vulnerability analysis,
which is used to detect potential bugs in unknown binary code.


Date:                   Friday, 23 February 2024

Time:                   3:00pm - 5:00pm

Venue:                  Room 4475
                        Lifts 25/26

Committee Members:      Prof. Charles Zhang (Supervisor)
                        Dr. Jiasi Shen (Chairperson)
                        Dr. Lionel Parreaux
                        Dr. Shuai Wang