Reverse › Module 1 › Lesson 2
Legal Targets
Analyze only crackmes, CTF challenges, and YOUR toy binaries at $RE_LAB — never commercial software for license bypass.
Visual · re_legal_targets
Legal RE targets. $RE_LAB only. Original Cyberlium.
Opening
If you cannot name a legal reason to analyze it, it stays off your bench.
Legal RE targets include crackmes designed for education, CTF challenge binaries with explicit permission, open-source programs you compile yourself, and firmware/docs your organization authorizes. Random warez, cracked game dumps, and neighbor's licensed tools are out of scope. Cyberlium teaches target literacy so $RE_LAB work stays defensible. You will NOT analyze commercial installers to skip payment or redistribute patches. Next: Lab Binaries.
1. Approved target categories
Crackmes from reputable RE training sites with explicit educational intent. CTF binaries from competitions you enrolled in or public repos that permit analysis. Toy programs YOU compiled with source beside the binary on $RE_LAB.
Document target name, source URL, sha256, and why analysis is authorized in chmod 600 notes — provenance for learning.
Command guide
Try these commands — Approved target categories
═══ TOOLS & WEBSITES ═══ Browse / read these (authorized learning only — stay in YOUR lab / program scope)
crackmes.one — https://crackmes.one/ (authorized crackme targets only) pwn.college — https://pwn.college/ (CTF-style authorized labs) Legal RE scope — https://ghidra.re/ (analyze YOUR toys / licensed crackmes only)
═══ INSTALL ═══
Linux (Debian/Ubuntu):
Command — copy this
sudo apt install curl
macOS: Built-in
Windows: Built-in (PowerShell: Invoke-WebRequest)
═══ LINUX / macOS ═══
Command — copy this
mkdir -p "$HOME/cyberlium-lab/t23-re" cat > "$HOME/cyberlium-lab/t23-re/roe.txt" <<'EOF' LAB_RE=$HOME/cyberlium-lab/t23-re targets: crackmes / CTF / YOUR gcc toys only never: commercial cracks, piracy, unauthorized binaries EOF
Command — copy this
grep -E 'LAB_|never|targets' "$HOME/cyberlium-lab/t23-re/roe.txt" curl -sS https://crackmes.one/ | head -5
Primary tools to practice this lesson: grep, curl. Reference sites: crackmes.one (https://crackmes.one/); pwn.college (https://pwn.college/); Legal RE scope (https://ghidra.re/). Run every command in the box — install first, then the usage lines — only on YOUR lab / program scope.
2. Targets you must refuse
Commercial games/apps for piracy, paid SaaS clients to steal API keys, employer binaries without written authorization, or classmate license keys scraped from disk. Unauthorized RE creates legal and ethical risk.
If you cannot prove legal rights or explicit CTF/crackme permission, do not disassemble — read public writeups instead.
3. Sharing and scope hygiene
Share writeups and techniques — not one-click cracks for paid software. Never post patched commercial binaries in public chat; share methodology on YOUR toy binary instead.
Ship: approved target list + NEVER target list for YOUR $RE_LAB workflow. Next: Lab Binaries.
4. What you ship: legal RE target policy for $RE_LAB
Approved: crackmes, CTF, YOUR toy binaries. NEVER: commercial piracy, unauthorized employer IP. chmod 600.
5. What you record before the next lesson
Date. Target policy. $RE_LAB named. File t23-m01-l02-legal-targets.txt chmod 600.
6. Wrong vs right: commercial piracy vs crackmes/CTF toys
Worked failure — same MSF word, opposite target. Right never needs a café Wi-Fi or classmate laptop.
Wrong
Analyze a cracked Photoshop 'for practice.' Patch a classmate's paid license tool.
Right
Write legal target policy for $RE_LAB. Next: Lab Binaries.
Mission: freeze YOUR legal target policy
1) List three approved target types. 2) List three forbidden targets. 3) Note sha256 + source logging rule. 4) chmod 600.
Stuck? Ask Cyberlium AI Mentor
No permission = no disassembly.
Knowledge Check
APPLY: Legal RE targets on Cyberlium include:
Multiple choice
Knowledge Check
APPLY: True or False: Analyzing commercial software to bypass payment is in scope.
True or False
Knowledge Check
APPLY: Before deep RE you should log:
Multiple choice