Reverse-Engineer a Stripped Binary to Restore Linking Symbols
Overview
What this challenge is about.
Reverse-Engineer a Stripped Binary to Restore Linking Symbols. Intermediate challenge in code. Writing production code that solves real engineering problems,...
The Brief
What you'll do, and what you'll demonstrate.
Restore at least 30 reasonable function symbols to a stripped 6-year-old library and produce a symbol file the modern build pipeline can consume.
This is not a coding exercise. It is the work a software engineer does between a Jira ticket and a merged PR. That distinction matters to every hiring manager who has seen candidates solve LeetCode problems and none who have shipped production code under real constraints.
When you finish, you will have something most graduates do not: a real-world deliverable, verified by Ewance, that you can show to a hiring manager and say "I did this. Here is the proof."
Earning criteria — what you'll demonstrate
- Use objdump, nm, and Ghidra to navigate a stripped ELF binary
- Identify functions by call-graph patterns and string references
- Restore symbols compatible with the addr2line / DWARF toolchain
- Document a reverse-engineering methodology others can extend
Program Fit
Where this fits in your program.
Sharpens the same skills your degree expects you to demonstrate.
Aligned coursework coming soon.
Skills
Skills you'll demonstrate.
Each one shows up on your verified credential.
- Reverse Engineering
Apply reverse engineering to solve real industry problems and demonstrate production-level capability.
- Linking And Loading
Apply linking and loading to solve real industry problems and demonstrate production-level capability.
- Machine Code
Apply machine code to solve real industry problems and demonstrate production-level capability.
- Ghidra
Apply ghidra to solve real industry problems and demonstrate production-level capability.
- Elf
Apply elf to solve real industry problems and demonstrate production-level capability.
- Documentation
Apply documentation to solve real industry problems and demonstrate production-level capability.
Careers
Career paths this challenge builds toward
Completing this challenge demonstrates skills that transfer directly to these roles: