Reverse engineering as a standalone discipline — distinct from exploit dev (covered in windows-internals / advanced-windows-exploitation / linux-internals). RE skill earns money in malware analysis, IR, mobile security, and any audit that lands on a closed-source binary.

Prereqs

• C or assembly familiarity (you can read it; not write fluently).
• One scripting language for tool-building (Python or Lua).

Stage 1 — foundations

• reverse-engineering-overview
• executable-files-pe-elf — PE, ELF, Mach-O layout.
• assembly-basics-x86-64 · assembly-basics-arm
• string-and-import-recon — the first five minutes always.

Stage 2 — static and dynamic

• static-analysis · dynamic-debugging
• ida-hexrays · ghidra-decompiler · binary-ninja
• algorithm-identification — recognise AES S-box, DES Feistel rounds, RSA mod-exp loops, CRC tables by their constants.

Stage 3 — anti-analysis

Defeating the most common counter-measures real binaries throw at you.

• anti-static-analysis
• anti-debugging
• packers — UPX, ASPack, Themida, VMProtect tiers.

Stage 4 — modern techniques

• symbolic-execution — angr, Triton, Manticore.
• binary-instrumentation — Intel Pin, DynamoRIO, Frida.
• Coverage-guided fuzzing on closed binaries.

Stage 5 — per-language

• rust-go-reverse — monomorphisation, panic strings, calling convention quirks.
• csharp-python-reverse — dnSpy / ILSpy / uncompyle6 workflow.

Where this earns money / impact

• Malware analysis and IR shops hire on RE skill.
• Mobile-security work (see mobile-security).
• Vulnerability research roles at vendors and at consultancies that publish n-day teardowns (Horizon3, watchTowr).
• Bug-bounty programs with binary-only desktop or IoT scope.

References

• Practical Binary Analysis — Dennis Andriesse.
• Practical Reverse Engineering — Dang, Gazet, Bachaalany.
• LiveOverflow RE playlists.
• pwn.college RE modules.
• Handbook for CTFers (Nu1L Team, Springer) — extensive RE chapter informed this hub’s RE topic structure.