EXE written in C++ ?? Possible to re-compile the code by reading it with notepad? - autohotkey

I'm not used to c or c++ or AHK. My problem is the following:
There exists a tool called "TI Helper", which is composed of 1 EXE and several text files. This EXE enables you to press "CTR+SPACE" in TM1 application, which will popup a (right-click kind of menu) based on the text files...
I opened the EXE with notepad and we can see the code...
Can i simply re-use or modify this code? WHat should i keep in mind?

This has nothing to do with C, C++ or assembly and you have neither decompiled, nor can you recompile the executable.
TIHelper is an open source AHK (autohotkey scripting language) file. As a script file, it is not compiled into unreadable machine gibberish, but instead interpreted in it's human readable form.
You are free to make changes to that AHK file and run with those changes.
Link to the source code archive of TIHelper

First of all - will any exe file modifications violate or comply software licensing terms?
If it is allowed, you should know the format of exe file, better if assembler language too.
Generally, modifying data segment in exe file (e.g. 13 characters "File created" to "Result is OK" - watching that total number of exe file bytes will not change) could eventually result only in changes in displayed text.
Modifying binary code (code segment of exe file) requires understading what "mov ax,60" is, what could it cause and could give expected result ONLY if machine (assembler) code is fully understood.

Related

WinDbg scripting - how to delete a file?

I'm working with an existing framework of WinDbg scripts that go through a series of test scripts Test1.txt, Test2.txt, etc., which are generated by C++ code and which output results.
For example a chunk of one of the test scripts would be,
.if (($spat(#"${var}","18300.000000")==1))
{
.logappend C:\Tests\TestResults.txt
.printf "TestNumber=\t1\tExpected=\t18300.000000\tActual=\t%.6f\t******PASSED******\n",poi(poi(#$t2+#$t6)+0x10)
.logclose
}
I'm trying to add functionality that will create a file whose name displays the current # of the test being run, so that users can see their progress without needing to open a file.
My thought process was that I would set up the script generator, so that at the start of Test #N, it would add a line to the script to create a file 'currentlyRunningTestN.txt', and at the end of Test #N, it would add a line to the script to delete that file. However, I don't see any delete function in the WinDbg meta command glossary: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/drivers/debugger/meta-commands, or in the list of supported C functions like printf. Am I just missing something, or is deleting files not supported by WinDbg (or equivalently renaming files, which would also serve my purpose?) If deleting/renaming don't work, is there another way to achieve the functionality I'm looking for?
With the .shell command, you can execute any DOS-like command. Although I never tried deleting a file, it should be possible.
As you may have noticed, WinDbg scripting does not always work on first attempt, please make sure your scripting will not result in a big data loss on your customer's PC whilst deleting files.

Siemens S5 to S7 XR.INI file

I'm trying to convert a program from S5 to S7. I've taken a look into the tutorials and documents that are available. But I cant seem to find any information about this problem:
The program is pretty complicated and I should need the XR.INI file to convert it with the S5 Converter program that came with Simatic S7. When I open the folder with the project I see all the files I need and that are described in the tutorial made by Siemens.
.ST.S5D
.XR.INI
.Z0.SEQ
I start the converter and open .ST.S5D. When I did this I get the error there is no .XR.INI file. But I can see it in the folder. Its called CERMST.INI. So I guess the name isnt correct?
In PG2000 I remade the XRF with CTRL Q but nothing changed. I also tried to rename the file to CERM.XR.INI because I saw somewhere these files can only be 6 characters long (not sure if this is true).
I tried first without the XRF. There were some errors because of the ASM command. In the tutorial I saw the converter cant handle these so I removed these functions from the program to rewrite manually later on. After this I had an error because I had no XRF. Error was:
Error No PLC type description found for called or addressed block
So I really need the .XR.INI file but the program can't find it, but its clearly in the folder. How can I fix this? How can I make a new .INI file?
Link to tutorial: http://www.sankotek.com/TR/Dokumanlar/STEP%207%20-%20From%20S5%20to%20S7.pdf
Thanks in advance!
Siemens S5 file extensions used also last two letters before file extension to mark file type, like xxxxxxXX.XXX where x is file name and X is file type for S5, without second dot in the middle like you have. File name length limit exists, I think it comes from DOS or some older operating system file length limit.
If you don't have XRF file then if i remember correctly compiler does not have compile order. Some blocks have not been compiled but are referenced in caller block that the compiler tries to compile. Compiler does not find called block in compiled blocks folder and wham... fatal error. When i had such troubles i compiled called blocks independenly before calling blocks. So you can do without XRF file. But try to include Z0.SEQ, that file has assignment list so you get nice variable names instead of just variable address numbers.
Also, stackoverflow is not the correct place to ask questions about Siemens S5-S7 conversion. You should post your questions in http://www.plctalk.net, they have guys there who used to program S5 plc-s.

use matlab to open a file with an outside program and execute 'save as'

Alright, here's what I'm dealing with (you can skip to TLDR if all you need to see is what I want to run):
I'm having an issue with file formatting for a nasty conglomeration of several ancient programs I've strung together. I have some data in .CSV format, and I need to put it into .SPC format. I've tried a set of proprietary MATLAB programs called 'GS tools' for fast and easy conversion, but fast and easy doesn't look like its gonna happen here since there are discrepancies in how .spc files are organized now and how they were organized back when my ancient programs were written.
If I could find the source code for the old programs I could probably alter the GS tools code to write my .spc files appropriately, but all I can find are broken links circa 2002 and earlier. Seeing as I don't know what my programs are looking for, I have no choice but to try resaving my data with other programs until one of them produces something workable.
I found my Cinderella program: if I open the data I have in a program called Spekwin and save the file with a .spc extension... viola! Everything else runs on those files. The problem is that I have hundreds of these files and I'd like to automate the conversion process.
I either need to extract the writing rubric Spekwin uses for .spc files (I believe that info is stored in a dll file within the program, but I'm not sure if that actually makes sense) and use it as a rule to write a file from my input data, or I need a piece of code that will open a file with Spekwin, tell Spekwin to save that file under the .spc extension, and terminate Spekwin.
TLDR: Need a command that tells the computer to open a file with a certain program, save that file under a different extension through that program (essentially open*.csv>save as>*.spc), then terminate the program.
OR--I need a way to tell MATLAB to write a file according to rules specified by a .dll, but I'm not sure I fully understand what that entails.
Of course I'm open to suggestions on other ways to handle this.

Can I assume an executable file as a snapshot image of an execution state?

I read some unix manual (http://pubs.opengroup.org/onlinepubs/009695399/functions/posix_spawn.html), and there was a mention about execution.
The new process image shall be constructed from a regular executable
file called the new process image file.
The expression process image caught my eyes.
I have been thought executable file is just a kind of sequence of command. Just as the word program means. But actually, I don't know the concept and structure of the executable file. And I felt executable file could be looks like an execution state image from the mention.
Could you explain me something about this? About the concept and structure of regular executable files in nowadays. In any OS.
Usually the executable file does not contain only instructions but also global data, readonly data and many more. I suggest you briefly look e.g. on the ELF format widely used in UNIX-like operating systems or PE format used in Windows.
The OS may also need for example to replace some addresses of functions (jump targets) with the real addresses of these functions in the memory, although this technique is probably not used anymore in common OSes. Anyway, there can be more work to do than just copy the file into memory and start executing from the first byte.

How does the non executeable exploit work?

Hello the question is how works non executable exploit's, when i say non executable i mean those who don't have the file extension .exe, like word exploits .doc or other. How did they make some executable action if they are not compiled?
That varies from exploit to exploit.
While .doc isn't an executable format it does contain interpreted vba code which is generally where the malicious content was hidden. When you opened the document there would be an onOpen event or some such fired which would execute the malicious payload. Hence why most office installations have macro's disabled by default these days, far too much scope for abuse.
There are also plenty of things that will run on your system without being a .exe for example .com, .vbs, .hta
Then there are formats which have no normal executable content but can be attacked in other ways, usually taking advantage of poorly written routines to load the files which can allow things like buffer overflows
The other way is to exploit bugs in the code that handles those files. Often this will be a 'buffer overflow'. Perhaps the code is expecting a header of 100 bytes, but the malicious file has 120 bytes. That causes the program to overwrite some other data in its memory, and if you can smash the 'stack' with your extra bytes it's possible to redirect the processor to a 'payload' code embedded in your file.
google "buffer overflow exploit" for more.