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Reverse Engineering

What is Reverse Engineering?

The process of analyzing software, hardware, or protocols to understand their design and functionality, used in security research and malware analysis.

Information Security

Each of these is named in at least one of the same controls as reverse engineering. The number is how many controls name both.

What the standards actually require on reverse engineering

Requirements naming reverse engineering across 6 standards, quoted from the control text.

OWASP MASVS1 control

Per OWASP MASVS v2 MASVS-RESILIENCE: resilience against reverse engineering + tampering. Requirements include (a) understand resilience is defence in depth + not replacement for server-side controls + (b) implement anti-debugging + anti-tampering + anti-hookin...

OWASPMASVS-7 · MASVS-RESILIENCE: Resilience Against Reverse Engineering →

Referenced by 14.1.4. Measures to consider for mobile applications: avoid storing or caching data in the app and keep data in a protected, trusted area of the device; protect private cryptographic keys;

monetary-authority-of-singapore-technology-risk-management-guidelines::C · Annex C Mobile Application Security →

Build the conceptual, logical and physical models, forward and reverse engineering as needed, identifying entities, relationships, attributes and keys and applying naming standards.

dama-dmbok2-data-management-body-of-knowledge-2nd-edition::DMD.2.2 · DMD.2.2 Build the data model →

Where data from a previous application falls short of the new safety objectives (for example developed at a lower level), the document's objectives are met while using the previous data;

do-254-ed-80-design-assurance-guidance-for-airborne-electronic-hardware::11.1.4 · 11.1.4 Upgrading a design baseline →

Critical security parameters such as usernames and passwords, API keys or private keys are not hard-coded in the device software source code, since reverse engineering finds them readily and obfuscation is easily broken.

etsi-en-303-645::Provision 5.4-3 · No hard-coded critical security parameters in source code →

Because stakeholders view the system at different levels, requirements are also defined and documented below the system of interest by allocating system requirements to system elements during architecture definition, iterating with architecture and design to s...

iso-iec-ieee-29148-2018-systems-and-software-engineering-requirements-engineering::5.3.2 · 5.3.2 Iteration, recursion and derived requirements →

Questions people ask about reverse engineering

What is Reverse Engineering?
The process of analyzing software, hardware, or protocols to understand their design and functionality, used in security research and malware analysis.
Why is Reverse Engineering important for compliance?
Reverse Engineering is a key concept in Information Security. Understanding reverse engineering helps organizations meet regulatory requirements, reduce risk, and demonstrate due diligence during audits. Our compliance platform maps 1,016 frameworks with 316K cross-framework control mappings.
Which compliance frameworks address Reverse Engineering?
Reverse Engineering appears in the requirement text of OWASP MASVS, Monetary Authority of Singapore Technology Risk Management Guidelines, DAMA-DMBOK2 - Data Management Body of Knowledge (2nd Edition), DO-254 / ED-80 - Design Assurance Guidance for Airborne Electronic Hardware, ETSI EN 303 645. Across these standards we have identified 7 controls that name it directly, each linked to the control text on the compliance platform.
Where can I learn more about Reverse Engineering?
Explore our compliance framework pages to see how reverse engineering applies across different standards and regulations. Our implementation guides provide step-by-step guidance, and the compliance platform offers AI-powered analysis of how this concept maps across 1,016 frameworks.

See how Reverse Engineering applies across compliance frameworks

Our platform maps 1,016 frameworks with 316K cross-framework control mappings. Explore how this concept is addressed across standards.

Written and maintained by Gerard Blokdyk, The Art of Service.