how to install

final thoughts at the end

how to install reverse engineer anything

go here https://github.com/morluto/rea#quick-start

cd ~
mkdir github
cd github
mkdir reverseengineranything
cd .\reverseengineranything\
npx rea-agents setup

First issue: i dont have any paid Ai subscriptions

so i dont have any of these. hmm na i dont want to pay, how do i setup local AI

update i caved and just baught 5.3 usd of deepseek

made a api key

downloading deepseek harnis https://www.deepseek.com/en/harness/ dam why do these simple ai apps always have to be 200megs plus!

Successfully installed

resetarted the install

npx rea-agents setup

now shows setup

kinda confusing setup

is there an front end?

 npx rea-agents capabilities

i have no idea what this is

dsh

test program

im using a raw c program i made o create a simple text editor see how it does

npx -y rea-agents@latest analyze-javascript-application C:\Users\o\github\reverseengineranything\jot.exe --json

npm install --global rea-agents
rea --help

fuck theres alot of commands

rea analyze C:\Users\o\github\reverseengineranything\jot.exe --json

dam not helpful

rea doctor

yep lots not installed

looks like each type of decompile requires specific instuctions and is not general https://github.com/morluto/rea#what-you-can-analyze

dam this docs suck

rea doctor --client dsh
C:\Users\o\.dsh\cordis.patch.yml

source: https://github.com/morluto/rea/blob/main/docs/client-configuration.md#deepseek-harness

- insert:
    - id: rea-mcp
      name: "@deepseek-ai/dsh-mcp-client"
      config:
        serverName: rea
        transport: stdio
        command: /absolute/path/to/node
        args: ["/absolute/path/to/rea/scripts/rea.mjs", mcp]

becomes

- insert:
    - id: rea-mcp
      name: "@deepseek-ai/dsh-mcp-client"
      config:
        serverName: rea
        transport: stdio
        command: C:\nvm4w\nodejs\node.exe
        args: ["C:\nvm4w\nodejs\node_modules\rea-agents\scripts\rea.mjs", mcp]

restarted deepseek harness

oops that was wrong

- insert:
    - id: rea-mcp
      name: "@deepseek-ai/dsh-mcp-client"
      config:
        serverName: rea
        transport: stdio
        command: C:\nvm4w\nodejs\node.exe
        args: ["C:\\nvm4w\\nodejs\\node_modules\\rea-agents\\scripts\\rea.mjs", mcp]

trying adding the double slash \\

yay that seemed to help

what now?

https://github.com/morluto/rea/blob/main/docs/native-investigation.md

Ghidra install now

https://github.com/morluto/rea/blob/main/docs/native-investigation.md#Ghidra

fuck now im installing JRE java

to install ghidra damit https://adoptium.net/temurin/releases

https://github.com/NationalSecurityAgency/ghidra/releases

clicking on windows.bat

ok. thats a cool logo renaming it and puttting in known folder

id recommand ~/ghidra or something ended up in C:\Users\o\oranapp\ghidra

added C:\Users\o\oranapp\ghidra to enviorment variables windows for use only

running

worked

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "rea": {
      "command": "C:\\tools\\node\\node.exe",
      "args": ["C:\\tools\\rea\\scripts\\rea.mjs", "mcp"],
      "env": {
        "REA_ANALYSIS_PROVIDER": "ghidra",
        "GHIDRA_INSTALL_DIR": "C:\\tools\\ghidra_12.1.4_PUBLIC",
        "JAVA_HOME": "C:\\tools\\jdk-21"
      }
    }
  }
}

fuck its been 1.5 hours and im still not done running rea-doctor says GHIDRA_INSTALL_DIR env not setup

GHIDRA_INSTALL_DIR

$env:GHIDRA_INSTALL_DIR = 'C:\Users\o\oranapp\ghidra'   
echo $env:GHIDRA_INSTALL_DIR
rea doctor --client dsh

woop that did something

hopefully i can try the dam fucking command now

rea inspect /absolute/path/to/program --provider ghidra --json
rea analyze C:\Users\o\github\reverseengineranything\jot.exe --provider ghidra --json  --client dsh

rea setup

trying prompt

Explain how a feature works in C:\Users\o\github\reverseengineranything\jot.exe and show the evidence.

its doing something

oh so he front end is vibe code

shit its a unconstrained ai model installing shit fuck me

v2

Explain how a feature works in C:\Users\o\github\reverseengineranything\jot.exe and show the evidence.

ghidras already installed in windows at 
C:\Users\o\oranapp\ghidra

that was more succesful

v3

Explain how a feature works in C:\Users\o\github\reverseengineranything\jot.exe and show the evidence.

ghidras already installed in windows at 
C:\Users\o\oranapp\ghidra

Eclipse Temurin JDK with Hotspot 25.0.4.1+1 (x64) Setup JDK java is installed a
$env:GHIDRA_INSTALL_DIR='C:\Users\o\oranapp\ghidra' $env:JAVA_HOME='C:\Users\o\AppData\Local\Programs\Eclipse Adoptium\jdk-25.0.4.101-hotspot' $wd='C:\Users\o\Documents\deepseek-harness\default-workspace' $rea='C:\Users\o\AppData\Local\nvm\v24.12.0\node_modules\rea-agents\scripts\rea.mjs' $t='C:\Users\o\github\reverseengineranything\jot.exe'

fuck this takes so many tokens!

wow thats alot of wasted tokens on tool defintiions and system prompts

shit it worked!

question can it recreate my shity app?

i think it can.

dam that process cost .5 usd kinda cool how it checked the hash of the original and the new one to see if hey are identecial

time to test out "the other programs" 👀🦜🏴‍☠️ /s

Is it illegal to decompile code?

example terms of service:

So not legal because i would be breaking the terms of service. i will NOT be doing that.

if you dont want to get into trouble please check the license of the software your copying, or ask for permission from the licencse owner.

this is not legal advice.

final thoughts

• kinda wild how effective this is. i think the sudo code that ghidra generates is exactlly what llms are great at reading. so this makes perfect sense.
• the tool basically puts a "hard to install" bow on this complex setup of tools. which is nice
• one thing i found confusing is conceptually where was the apps interface, turns out that was the chat interface for my case i used deepseek harnis (this shit is kinda scary dangrous to run without looking at everyhting its doing giving a llm full install privileges is nuts)

long term implications: making shitty nockoff products if the .exe is avaible is now possible.

which is both awesome in the short term but will have lasting second order effects on software development

its funny the thought that 2022 the idea that the shitty GPT2 llm's of the day would enable crazy shit like this is wild.

closed source: security by human effort.

which means all these years decompiling was possible but the effort required just didnt make it worth it for small oneoff projects.

now that effort = tokens .5 usd to decode my shitty 100 line c text editor jot.exe release available here

prediction:

• standard terms of service are going to be more upfront about no "AI decompiling"
• some shitty law is going to get perposed to stop decompilation on mass. that is way more strickt then nessisary
• new apps that come out can be copied same day.
  • "decomp-slopware" will be a normal thing.
• local only closed source will have a archetictually change for the worst.

best case Positive future:

• software from the 90's will be brought forward and used like rainbowtables.txt (originally a database dump that effected alot of users but now servese good by being the default password crackers for security professionals)
  • older software that hassent gotten love will now have fresh coat of paint, and live on as "slopware"

idea:

• make a webapp that you drop your binary insert 5 usd and get source code out, and runnable app out

thanks for reading!

author

• oran