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I've got an hexdump of COM MSDOS 8086 file, and I'm trying to transform it to COM executable.

After looking around, I found a site1 that gives reasonable disassembly of the hexdump. Although, when I try to use that assembly generated code in a TASM, it doesn't build, and throw errors.

In contrast, I tried also to use IDA, and it does not seem to get the same assembly result as 1.

My questions are:

  1. Is there any other way that I'm missing in transforming hexdump into an executable COM file?
  2. The site gives me expressions like: mov $0x400,%di , but TASM only recognize mov di,400. Is that a better way to translate the hexdumps into instructions that TASM will recognize?

BTW - The context is that I'm trying to solve an RE riddle, which I cannot post online (and I'm a pretty newbie in RE and assembly).

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  • From the looks of it the Online Disassembler generates the disassembly in the AT&T syntax (mov $0x400,%di), which is odd, given that when I visit the site it gives back Intel syntax. Anyway, the difference is that AT&T syntax is somewhat more verbose and the source operand comes left of the comma as opposed to right of the comma with Intel's syntax.
    – 0xC0000022L
    Jun 30, 2018 at 20:25

1 Answer 1

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DOS COM files do not have any structure or headers; they are loaded into memory by DOS as-is and are executed from the first byte, so you just need to convert hex bytes to binary to get a COM file.

The difference you see is likely caused by the processor mode setting; mov di, 400h in 16-bit mode and and mov edi, 0x400 in 32-bit mode have exactly the same opcode.

IDA knows that COM files are 16-bit code and disassembles them accordingly, but ODA seems to default to 32-bit mode. To force 16-bit disassembly, select i8086 in the Mode combo box.

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  • Thanks! in ODA I already chose i8086. my "complains" were about the $, % signs and the fact that the operands were exchanged. Jun 30, 2018 at 0:29
  • @user1387682 switch syntax to intel
    – Igor Skochinsky
    Jun 30, 2018 at 0:30
  • Thanks, again! Can you guide me how? It does not give me an option (see the screenshot here: ibb.co/dJ08Wd), and the tutorial is not working in this site. Jun 30, 2018 at 0:42
  • @user1387682 I see it when I click on the Platform button. maybe try another browser.
    – Igor Skochinsky
    Jun 30, 2018 at 0:52
  • I see it only when I choose I386:intel platform. Is it good to the case that I asked (instead of i8086)? Jun 30, 2018 at 1:03

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