Digital Forensic Certification Practice Exam

Which tool is particularly useful for analyzing binary code when the source code is unavailable?

1. Dependency Walker

2. OllyDbg

3. VirusTotal

4. ResourcesExtract

The correct answer is: OllyDbg

OllyDbg is a powerful debugger that is specifically designed for analyzing binary code in the absence of source code. It allows forensic analysts and reverse engineers to examine the execution flow of binaries, inspect registers, and view the stack, making it easier to understand how the program operates at a low level. This capability is essential when dealing with malware or any other executable that lacks available source code, as it provides insights into the program's behavior, logic, and structure by enabling step-by-step execution and monitoring of its interactions with the system. On the other hand, Dependency Walker is mainly for examining the dependencies of executables and libraries, not for debugging or reversing binary code. VirusTotal primarily focuses on scanning files for known malware signatures and does not provide in-depth analysis tools for binary execution. ResourcesExtract extracts resources from executables but doesn’t analyze the binary code itself. Thus, OllyDbg stands out as the most effective tool when the source code is not present, allowing analysts to delve into the inner workings of the binary file.