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The Executable File Format Bundle
What really happens between writing a line of code and watching a program run? Go beneath the surface of Windows, Linux and Apple executables with three in-depth technical guides that reveal how binaries are built, linked, loaded and executed. From PE and ELF to Mach-O, discover the structures and mechanisms that make modern operating systems work.
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The following 3 books are included in this bundle...
These books have a total suggested price of $105. Get them now for only $59.00!
About
About the Bundle
Explore the inner workings of executable files across the three major desktop operating system ecosystems with this collection of in-depth technical references. Covering Windows, Linux and Unix-like systems and Apple's platforms, this bundle takes you beyond the surface of binary formats and explains how programs are structured, built, linked, loaded and executed.
The Portable Executable and COFF File Format dives into the binary formats used by Windows. It covers everything from COFF object files and PE headers to sections, imports, relocations, loader internals and security features. It also includes practical C++ implementations that gradually build into a complete PE analysis tool.
The Executable and Linkable Format explores ELF, the format behind executables and shared libraries on Linux and other Unix-like systems. It walks through its structures, linking and loading mechanisms, dynamic linking and runtime execution, with practical C programs for parsing and analyzing real binaries.
The Mach-O File Format focuses on Apple's executable format, covering its architecture, load commands, dynamic linking, code signing and runtime behavior across macOS, iOS and other Apple platforms. It also includes hands-on C, C++ and Python examples for building a practical Mach-O analysis toolkit.
Whether you work in systems programming, compiler development, reverse engineering or software security, this bundle gives you a solid technical foundation for understanding how executable files work under the hood. Each book combines detailed explanations with practical code and real-world examples, making the collection useful both as a learning resource and as a reference for deeper technical work.
Books
About the Books
The Portable Executable and COFF File Format
A Comprehensive Technical Reference from Object Files to Windows Process Execution
This book provides a complete, implementation-oriented technical reference on the Portable Executable (PE) and Common Object File Format (COFF) used by Microsoft Windows. Starting from historical origins and design goals, it progresses systematically through every header, structure, section and metadata format that composes a PE image. The book covers the full lifecycle from source compilation through COFF object generation, linking, loader validation, memory mapping, import resolution and process execution. It includes detailed analysis of Windows loader internals, security features such as Control Flow Guard and Authenticode, cross-architecture differences between x86, x64 and ARM64 and progressive C++ implementations that build into a production-quality PE analysis tool capable of parsing, validating and inspecting real Windows binaries with rigorous bounds checking and error handling.
The Executable and Linkable Format
A Complete Technical Reference for Systems Programmers
This book is a comprehensive technical reference for the ELF binary format as used on modern Unix-like systems. It takes you from the fundamental concepts through every data structure, algorithm and system mechanism, to an implementation-level mastery of how ELF files are built, loaded, linked and executed. Every chapter is grounded in primary specifications and real-world examples, with complete C programs that parse and analyze ELF binaries. If you write compilers, linkers, operating systems, reverse-engineering tools, or security software, this is the book you need.
The Mach-O File Format
Architecture, Internals, Parsing, Linking, Loading and Runtime Execution
This book provides a comprehensive, implementation-level treatment of the Mach-O binary format used across all Apple platforms. It progresses from foundational computer science concepts through the complete Mach-O specification, dynamic linking architecture, modern optimization mechanisms, code signing and practical binary analysis. The text includes annotated structure definitions, hexadecimal walkthroughs, cross-referenced load command documentation and a substantial collection of working C, C++ and Python code examples that together form a complete Mach-O analysis toolkit. It is intended as a definitive reference for systems programmers, compiler and toolchain engineers, reverse engineers and security researchers who need to understand how executables are structured, generated, linked, loaded and executed on macOS, iOS, watchOS, tvOS and visionOS.
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