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Assembler Basic Guide

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This is a Tutorial my Programming Teacher gave to me at School and found it very very useful to learn the basics of Assembly. I Hope you like it. I couldnt find the name of the original author so sorry :(.

Assembler

Assembler is the start and the end of all programming languages. After all, all languages are translated to assembler. In most languages we deal with relatively clear syntaxes. However, it's a completely other story in assembler where we use abbreviations and numbers and where it all seems so weird
 
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Continued

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CALL (Call)
Syntax: CALL something

The instruction CALL pushes the RVA (Relative Virtual Address) of the instruction that
follows the CALL to the stack and calls a sub program/procedure.

CALL can be used in the following ways:

CALL 404000 ;; MOST COMMON: CALL ADDRESS
CALL EAX ;; CALL REGISTER - IF EAX WOULD BE 404000 IT WOULD BE SAME AS THE ONE ABOVE
CALL DWORD PTR [EAX] ;; CALLS THE ADDRESS THAT IS STORED AT [EAX]
CALL DWORD PTR [EAX+5] ;; CALLS THE ADDRESS THAT IS STORED AT [EAX+5]

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CDQ (Convert DWord (4Byte) to QWord (8 Byte))
Syntax: CQD

CDQ is an instruction that always confuses newbies when it appears first time. It is
mostly used in front of divisions and does nothing else then setting all bytes of EDX
to the value of the highest bit of EAX. (That is: if EAX <80000000, then EDX will be
00000000; if EAX >= 80000000, EDX will be FFFFFFFF).

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CMP (Compare)
Syntax: CMP dest, source

The CMP instruction compares two things and can set the C/O/Z flags if the result fits.

CMP EAX, EBX ;; compares eax and ebx and sets z-flag if they are equal
CMP EAX,[404000] ;; compares eax with the dword at 404000
CMP [404000],EAX ;; compares eax with the dword at 404000

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DEC (Decrement)
Syntax: DEC something

dec is used to decrease a value (that is: value=value-1)

dec can be used in the following ways:
dec eax ;; decrease eax
dec [eax] ;; decrease the dword that is stored at [eax]
dec [401000] ;; decrease the dword that is stored at [401000]
dec [eax+401000] ;; decrease the dword that is stored at [eax+401000]

The dec instruction can set the Z/O flags if the result fits.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DIV (Division)
Syntax: DIV divisor

DIV is used to divide EAX through divisor (unsigned division). The dividend is always
EAX, the result is stored in EAX, the modulo-value in EDX.

An example:
mov eax,64 ;; EAX = 64h = 100
mov ecx,9 ;; ECX = 9
div ecx ;; DIVIDE EAX THROUGH ECX

After the division EAX = 100/9 = 0B and ECX = 100 MOD 9 = 1

The div instruction can set the C/O/Z flags if the result fits.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

IDIV (Integer Division)
Syntax: IDIV divisor

The IDIV works in the same way as DIV, but IDIV is a signed division.
The idiv instruction can set the C/O/Z flags if the result fits.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

IMUL (Integer Multiplication)
Syntax: IMUL value
IMUL dest,value,value
IMUL dest,value

IMUL multiplies either EAX with value (IMUL value) or it multiplies two values and puts
them into a destination register (IMUL dest, value, value) or it multiplies a register
with a value (IMUL dest, value).

If the multiplication result is too big to fit into the destination register, the
O/C flags are set. The Z flag can be set, too.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

INC (Increment)
Syntax: INC register

INC is the opposite of the DEC instruction; it increases values by 1.
INC can set the Z/O flags.


---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

INT
Syntax: int dest

Generates a call to an interrupt handler. The dest value must be an integer (e.g., Int 21h).
INT3 and INTO are interrupt calls that take no parameters but call the handlers for
interrupts 3 and 4, respectively.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

JUMPS
These are the most important jumps and the condition that needs to be met, so that
they'll be executed (Important jumps are marked with * and very important with **):

JA* - Jump if (unsigned) above - CF=0 and ZF=0
JAE - Jump if (unsigned) above or equal - CF=0
JB* - Jump if (unsigned) below - CF=1
JBE - Jump if (unsigned) below or equal - CF=1 or ZF=1
JC - Jump if carry flag set - CF=1
JCXZ - Jump if CX is 0 - CX=0
JE** - Jump if equal - ZF=1
JECXZ - Jump if ECX is 0 - ECX=0
JG* - Jump if (signed) greater - ZF=0 and SF=OF (SF = Sign Flag)
JGE* - Jump if (signed) greater or equal - SF=OF
JL* - Jump if (signed) less - SF != OF (!= is not)
JLE* - Jump if (signed) less or equal - ZF=1 and OF != OF
JMP** - Jump - Jumps always
JNA - Jump if (unsigned) not above - CF=1 or ZF=1
JNAE - Jump if (unsigned) not above or equal - CF=1
JNB - Jump if (unsigned) not below - CF=0
JNBE - Jump if (unsigned) not below or equal - CF=0 and ZF=0
JNC - Jump if carry flag not set - CF=0
JNE** - Jump if not equal - ZF=0
JNG - Jump if (signed) not greater - ZF=1 or SF!=OF
JNGE - Jump if (signed) not greater or equal - SF!=OF
JNL - Jump if (signed) not less - SF=OF
JNLE - Jump if (signed) not less or equal - ZF=0 and SF=OF
JNO - Jump if overflow flag not set - OF=0
JNP - Jump if parity flag not set - PF=0
JNS - Jump if sign flag not set - SF=0
JNZ - Jump if not zero - ZF=0
JO - Jump if overflow flag is set - OF=1
JP - Jump if parity flag set - PF=1
JPE - Jump if parity is equal - PF=1
JPO - Jump if parity is odd - PF=0
JS - Jump if sign flag is set - SF=1
JZ - Jump if zero - ZF=1

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

LEA (Load Effective Address)
Syntax: LEA dest,src

LEA can be treated the same way as the MOV instruction. It isn't used too much for its
original function, but more for quick multiplications like this:

lea eax, dword ptr [4*ecx+ebx]
which gives eax the value of 4*ecx+ebx

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MOV (Move)
Syntax: MOV dest,src

This is an easy to understand instruction. MOV copies the value from src to dest and src
stays what it was before.

There are some variants of MOV:

MOVS/MOVSB/MOVSW/MOVSD EDI, ESI: Those variants copy the byte/word/dword ESI points to,
to the space EDI points to.

MOVSX: MOVSX expands Byte or Word operands to Word or Dword size and keeps the sign of the
value.

MOVZX: MOVZX expands Byte or Word operands to Word or Dword size and fills the rest of the
space with 0.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MUL (Multiplication)
Syntax: MUL value

This instruction is the same as IMUL, except that it multiplies unsigned. It can set the
O/Z/F flags.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NOP (No Operation)
Syntax: NOP

This instruction does absolutely nothing
That's the reason why it is used so often in reversing ;)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

OR (Logical Inclusive Or)
Syntax: OR dest,src

The OR instruction connects two values using the logical inclusive or.
This instruction clears the O-Flag and the C-Flag and can set the Z-Flag.

To understand OR better, consider those two binary values:

1001010110
0101001101

If you OR them, the result is 1101011111

Only when there are two 0 on top of each other, the resulting bit is 0. Else the resulting
bit is 1. You can use calc.exe to calculate OR. I hope you understand why, else
write down a value on paper and try ;)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

POP
Syntax: POP dest

POP loads the value of byte/word/dword ptr [esp] and puts it into dest. Additionally it
increases the stack by the size of the value that was popped of the stack, so that the next
POP would get the next value.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PUSH
Syntax: PUSH operand

PUSH is the opposite of POP. It stores a value on the stack and decreases it by the size
of the operand that was pushed, so that ESP points to the value that was PUSHed.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

REP/REPE/REPZ/REPNE/REPNZ
Syntax: REP/REPE/REPZ/REPNE/REPNZ ins

Repeat Following String Instruction: Repeats ins until CX=0 or until indicated condition
(ZF=1, ZF=1, ZF=0, ZF=0) is met. The ins value must be a string operation such as CMPS, INS,
LODS, MOVS, OUTS, SCAS, or STOS.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

RET (Return)
Syntax: RET
RET digit

RET does nothing but return from a part of code that was reached using a CALL instruction.
RET digit cleans the stack before it returns.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SUB (Subtraction)
Syntax: SUB dest,src

SUB is the opposite of the ADD command. It subtracts the value of src from the value of
dest and stores the result in dest.

SUB can set the Z/O/C flags.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TEST
Syntax: TEST operand1, operand2

This instruction is in 99% of all cases used for "TEST EAX, EAX". It performs a Logical
AND(AND instruction) but does not save the values. It only sets the Z-Flag, when EAX is 0
or clears it, when EAX is not 0. The O/C flags are always cleared.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

XOR
Syntax: XOR dest,src

The XOR instruction connects two values using logical exclusive OR (remember OR uses
inclusive OR).

This instruction clears the O-Flag and the C-Flag and can set the Z-Flag.
To understand XOR better, consider those two binary values:

1001010110
0101001101

If you OR them, the result is 1100011011

When two bits on top of each other are equal, the resulting bit is 0. Else the resulting
bit is 1. You can use calc.exe to calculate XOR.
The most often seen use of XOR is
 
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What do you mean by download?
 
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He wanted to download this guide, but he don't know how.
Btw.. Excellent guide, thank you !
P.S : Try to print this thread lol. :p
 
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9.9/10

Small typo:
• MEGABYTE - Again, not just 1 million bytes, but 1024*1024 or 1,048,578 bytes.

it's really 1,048,576 or 2^20

Other than that, good guide :)
 
Nasty By Nature.
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You surely didn't write all that? And. . . Wow. . .

-Mattio
 
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:O

thx , that guide cleared me some doubts about some registers...
 
Divine Celestial
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Awesome guide. This deserves a sticky.

EDIT: 1000th post :O YAY

[N]asser` ~ Out
 
Initiate Mage
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Cool guide aseembler too hard to learn way to go Hybrid your a Hybrid
 
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ringmaup said:
hardest lang to learn?
damn sure it is, the only thing lower level than that is programing in hexa directly (btw you can do it if you know the op code of each instruction), you need to understand how a processor works in order to fully enjoy Assembly, every thing you can do with any other language you can do with assembly, but that is to much of effort (damn LOADS of effort).
 
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minor correction:
CALL doesn't push an RVA, (an RVA is an offset from the base address). CALL pushes the actual return address.

other than that the guide is great!
 
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GriffinHeart said:
damn sure it is, the only thing lower level than that is programing in hexa directly (btw you can do it if you know the op code of each instruction), you need to understand how a processor works in order to fully enjoy Assembly, every thing you can do with any other language you can do with assembly, but that is to much of effort (damn LOADS of effort).


I tried hexadecimal directly a few times, my applications didn't work, one of them sort of did... the rest didn't execute.
 
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GriffinHeart, hey assembbler is hard but if you get into it you can learn it fast.
i found that cracking (sure its illegal) is a great way to learn assembler commands.
i can now code basic stuff like trainers and small apps.
seriously people, get some cracking tutorials, crack open your dissasembler and start learning.
Dont actually release or use cracks, thats illegal and it hurts software companies.

and bitblaster, hex coding aint that hard (joke ;), just keep trying and eventually your programs will work, try pic hex programming
regards
 
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