Editing Disassembler (section)

== Challenges ==
It is not always possible to distinguish executable code from data within a binary. While common executable formats, such as [[Executable and Linkable Format|ELF]] and [[Portable Executable|PE]], separate code and data into distinct sections, flat binaries do not, making it unclear whether a given location contains executable instructions or non-executable data. This ambiguity might complicate the disassembly process.

Additionally, CPUs often allow dynamic jumps computed at runtime, which makes it impossible to identify all possible locations in the binary that might be executed as instructions.

On computer architectures with [[Instruction set architecture#Instruction length|variable-width instructions]], such as in many [[complex instruction set computer|CISC]] architectures, more than one valid disassembly may exist for the same binary.

Disassemblers also cannot handle code that changes during execution, as static analysis cannot account for runtime modifications.

Encryption, [[Executable compression|packing]], or [[Obfuscation (software)|obfuscation]] are often applied to computer programs, especially as part of [[digital rights management]] to deter reverse engineering and [[Software Cracking|cracking]]. These techniques pose additional challenges for disassembly, as the code must first be unpacked or decrypted before meaningful analysis can begin.