Google denies disassembling Vista code for Chrome

Tag : chrome

The source code underlying Google's Chrome web browser suggestsGoogle used a reverse-engineering technique called disassembly tofigure out how to use a useful Windows Vista security feature, butthe company has denied doing this.
The Chrome source code said a particular security feature availableon Vista, Data Execution Prevention, can be used on Windows XP SP2and Windows Server 2003 SP1, though it's not documented for theolder operating systems. The source code also said the feature canbe understood with a disassembler, a method of reverse-engineeringthat deconstructs a binary file into instructions more easilyunderstood by a human.
An explanatory comment in the Chrome source code mentions use of a disassembler to figure out the security feature. "Completely undocumented fromMicrosoft. You can find this information by disassembling Vista'sSP1 kernel32.dll with your favourite disassembler," the commentsays.
But Google itself didn't take that route. "We did not disassemblethis code," the company said in a statement. "The source codeindicates that the technique came from http://www.uninformed.org/?v=2&a=4 . Please also note that... disassembling is just one of severalmethods one can use to find this information."
Software companies trying to protect their proprietary softwaretend not to advocate the use of disassemblers. For example, Vista's End-User License Agreement states: "You may not... reverse-engineer, decompile, ordisassemble the software, except and only to the extent thatapplicable law expressly permits, despite this limitation."
Google defended the practice, though. "Disassembling is a commonand accepted practice in software development, frequently used tomake sure software features are compatible with other softwareprograms or operating systems," the company said.
Regarding the Data Execution Prevention interface, the Chromesource code says: "Try documented ways first. Only available onVista SP1 and Windows 2008." The method described at Uninformedcomes in a later section, labelled thus: "Go in darker areas. Onlyavailable on Windows XP SP2 and Windows Server 2003 SP1."