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Course Instructor: Ashish Revar

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Fundamentals of Malware Analysis
LearnREMAUnit 23

Topic 2.3 of Fundamentals of Malware Analysis

The Portable Executable (PE) File Format

The internal structure of Windows executables — DOS header, PE signature, File Header, Optional Header, Data Directories, section table, RVAs, and the anomalies that indicate packed or malicious binaries.

~30 min total·4 quadrants of structured content

By the end of this topic, you will

  • List eight Windows file types that use the PE format
  • Describe the four-part book analogy for the PE structure
  • Explain the critical difference between on-disk and in-memory PE layout
  • Identify five key Optional Header fields and their relevance to malware analysis
  • Calculate a Virtual Address from an ImageBase and RVA
  • List seven PE anomalies and state what each indicates about a binary
Q1 · E-TUTORIAL (1)Q2 · E-CONTENT (1)Q3 · WEB RESOURCES (8)Q4 · SELF-ASSESSMENT (2)

Quadrant 1 · e-Tutorial

Video lectures and walkthroughs

Quick Bite

Quadrant 2 · e-Content

Articles and case studies

Education

The Portable Executable (PE) File Format

The internal structure of Windows executables — DOS header, PE signature, File Header, Optional Header, Data Directories, section table, and the anomalies that signal malware.

18 min read

Quadrant 3 · Web Resources

Downloadable material and curated external links

Downloadable reference material

EBook

REMA eBook 2026

v1.0

Open resource

Cheatsheet

REMA Cheatsheet 2026

v1.0

Open resource

MCQ Bank

REMA MCQ Bank 2026

v1.0

Open resource

Question Bank

REMA Question Bank 2026

v1.0

Open resource

Featured Podcast

Podcast Episode

Malware Blueprints in Portable Executable Headers

A deep dive into the Portable Executable (PE) structure used by Windows binaries — how analysts decode executable metadata to uncover malicious intent, compiler behaviour, packing indicators, and execution flow.

Listen now

External links

PE-Bear — Visual PE Structure Explorer

Free PE editor and viewer with graphical display of all header fields, sections, and data directories. Install in your analysis VM.

Corkami PE101 — Visual PE Reference

Visual reference mapping every PE field to its hex offset. Print and keep beside your disassembler.

Microsoft PE Format Specification

Official Microsoft documentation for the PE/COFF file format. Authoritative reference for all header structure definitions.

Quadrant 4 · Self-Assessment

Test your knowledge — earn a certificate on first pass

Fundamentals of Malware Analysis

Covers the analysis environment, PE file structure, static property examination, behavioural analysis, and dynamic code analysis of Windows executables.

20 questions30 minPass: 60%

REMA Complete Assessment

A comprehensive 120-question assessment covering the entire Reverse Engineering and Malware Analysis curriculum: malware taxonomy and reverse engineering fundamentals, static and dynamic analysis, reversing malicious code, malicious web and document files, in-depth analysis of packed and fileless malware, and self-defending malware techniques.

120 questions90 minPass: 60%