Deconstructing software or hardware without source code to understand its function or find flaws.

• A. Dynamic Analysis
• B. Reverse Engineering
• C. Static Analysis
• D. Debugging

Answer: (B)

Reverse engineering is the process of deconstructing software or hardware to understand how it works and to uncover flaws when the source code or internal design isn’t available. In software, this means analyzing the compiled binaries or firmware with tools that disassemble or decompile code, then studying the resulting control flow, data structures, and algorithms to see how features are implemented. In hardware, it involves examining circuit boards, tracing signals, and often analyzing firmware to map component interactions and identify weaknesses. The goal is to build an accurate model of the system from its outward behavior and compiled artifacts, which is exactly what’s needed when you don’t have access to the original source.

Static and dynamic analysis are techniques used within this broader activity, but they’re components of reverse engineering rather than the whole practice. Debugging, meanwhile, is typically tied to fixing issues with accessible source and a live environment, not primarily about uncovering internal workings from compiled forms.