Decompiling the GPL violated Linux kernel using Evolutionary Algorithms (far.chickenkiller.com)

A novel research direction proposes using Evolutionary Algorithms (EAs) to achieve byte-equivalent decompilation of Linux kernel binaries—specifically targeting GPL-violating cases where device manufacturers refuse to release source code. Unlike traditional decompilers that aim for semantic equivalence, this approach frames decompilation as an optimization problem: evolving C code that, when recompiled, produces a binary identical byte-for-byte to the original kernel. The significance lies in enabling users to reclaim their legal right to kernel sources, enhancing transparency and fostering open-source compliance within the AI/ML and embedded systems communities reliant on Linux-based devices. Technically, the method leverages population-based metaheuristics like Genetic Programming to search the vast space of possible C code representations, guided by a fitness function that evaluates binary equivalence. Initial populations would be seeded using partial heuristics or outputs from existing decompilers to improve convergence. Representing C code as Abstract Syntax Trees (ASTs) allows genetic operators to maintain syntactic validity, while constraining language features simplifies the search space. The approach requires knowledge of the exact compiler and flags to ensure reproducibility of the target binary. Although nascent and computationally intensive, combining classical evolutionary search with recent advances in neural decompilers and language models for code readability could accelerate progress and facilitate mainlining efforts on proprietary Linux kernel variants, such as those found in e-book readers or other consumer devices.