Your binary is no longer safe: Conversion with LLMs (reorchestrate.com)

A recent post delves into the application of Large Language Models (LLMs) in automating the reverse engineering of binary programs, focusing on the conversion of decompiled code into modern programming languages like Rust. Using Claude Opus 4.5, the author demonstrated its capability to translate a specific function from Ghidra into Rust, showcasing the complexity of implementing a reliable harness to test the accuracy of the translation. This involves setting up a sophisticated environment where original and re-implemented code can be executed side by side, allowing for validation through differential testing. The significance of this development lies in its potential to streamline reverse engineering, which has traditionally been a labor-intensive task. By leveraging LLMs to facilitate both code translation and verification through property and differential testing, the approach can significantly reduce the time and effort required for such processes. Moreover, the challenges of hallucinations—where LLMs generate incorrect outputs on novel problems—are addressed through a feedback loop that enhances the reliability of the LLM’s outputs. This pioneering work highlights the evolution of LLMs and opens the door for further advancements in their capabilities, posing the question of how much further they will progress in the coming years.