AI-powered deobfuscation: a novel approach to understanding reverse engineered code

Bishwajeet Pandey; Sanjeev Pippal; Simi Bajaj; Ashish Kumar Singh; Advait Patel; M. K. Hasan

doi:10.1109/MPCON66082.2025.11256567

AI-powered deobfuscation: a novel approach to understanding reverse engineered code

Bishwajeet Pandey
, Sanjeev Pippal
, Simi Bajaj
, Ashish Kumar Singh
, Advait Patel
, M. K. Hasan

Western Sydney University

GL Bajaj Institute of Technology and Management
Department of CSE
JAIN (Deemed-to-be University)
Broadcom Corporation
Center for Cybersecurity
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia

Research output: Chapter in Book / Conference Paper › Conference Paper › peer-review

Abstract

In this research, we are reverse engineering an APK file using the GUI version of the JADX tool. We are receiving two folders from JADX, namely Sources and Resources. Sources contain three thousand files, and similarly, resources include hundreds of files. The source code in the source folder was in obfuscated form. To read code in an obfuscated form, we harness the power of AI by giving our code to ChatGPT and asking it to find a secret flag inside. We discovered a hidden debug flag (debug_bypass_phenotype).

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Proceedings of the 2025 IEEE Madhya Pradesh Section Conference (MPCON 2025), 29th - 30th August 2025, Jabalpur, India
Place of Publication	U.S.
Publisher	IEEE
Pages	848-851
Number of pages	4
ISBN (Electronic)	9798331512859
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1109/MPCON66082.2025.11256567
Publication status	Published - 2025
Event	IEEE Madhya Pradesh Section Conference - Jabalpur, India Duration: 29 Aug 2025 → 30 Aug 2025

Conference

Conference	IEEE Madhya Pradesh Section Conference
Abbreviated title	MPCON
Country/Territory	India
City	Jabalpur
Period	29/08/25 → 30/08/25

Keywords

APK
ChatGPT
Deobfuscation using AI
JADX
Obfuscation
Reverse Engineering
Secret Flag

Access to Document

10.1109/MPCON66082.2025.11256567

Cite this

@inproceedings{a0362dc4bd0d46849bef50b255494e9a,

title = "AI-powered deobfuscation: a novel approach to understanding reverse engineered code",

abstract = "In this research, we are reverse engineering an APK file using the GUI version of the JADX tool. We are receiving two folders from JADX, namely Sources and Resources. Sources contain three thousand files, and similarly, resources include hundreds of files. The source code in the source folder was in obfuscated form. To read code in an obfuscated form, we harness the power of AI by giving our code to ChatGPT and asking it to find a secret flag inside. We discovered a hidden debug flag (debug\_bypass\_phenotype).",

keywords = "APK, ChatGPT, Deobfuscation using AI, JADX, Obfuscation, Reverse Engineering, Secret Flag",

author = "Bishwajeet Pandey and Sanjeev Pippal and Simi Bajaj and Singh, \{Ashish Kumar\} and Advait Patel and Hasan, \{M. K.\}",

year = "2025",

doi = "10.1109/MPCON66082.2025.11256567",

language = "English",

pages = "848--851",

booktitle = "Proceedings of the 2025 IEEE Madhya Pradesh Section Conference (MPCON 2025), 29th - 30th August 2025, Jabalpur, India",

publisher = "IEEE",

note = "IEEE Madhya Pradesh Section Conference, MPCON ; Conference date: 29-08-2025 Through 30-08-2025",

}

Pandey, B, Pippal, S, Bajaj, S, Singh, AK, Patel, A & Hasan, MK 2025, AI-powered deobfuscation: a novel approach to understanding reverse engineered code. in Proceedings of the 2025 IEEE Madhya Pradesh Section Conference (MPCON 2025), 29th - 30th August 2025, Jabalpur, India. IEEE, U.S., pp. 848-851, IEEE Madhya Pradesh Section Conference, Jabalpur, India, 29/08/25. https://doi.org/10.1109/MPCON66082.2025.11256567

AI-powered deobfuscation: a novel approach to understanding reverse engineered code. / Pandey, Bishwajeet; Pippal, Sanjeev; Bajaj, Simi et al.
Proceedings of the 2025 IEEE Madhya Pradesh Section Conference (MPCON 2025), 29th - 30th August 2025, Jabalpur, India. U.S.: IEEE, 2025. p. 848-851.

Research output: Chapter in Book / Conference Paper › Conference Paper › peer-review

TY - GEN

T1 - AI-powered deobfuscation

T2 - IEEE Madhya Pradesh Section Conference

AU - Pandey, Bishwajeet

AU - Pippal, Sanjeev

AU - Bajaj, Simi

AU - Singh, Ashish Kumar

AU - Patel, Advait

AU - Hasan, M. K.

PY - 2025

Y1 - 2025

N2 - In this research, we are reverse engineering an APK file using the GUI version of the JADX tool. We are receiving two folders from JADX, namely Sources and Resources. Sources contain three thousand files, and similarly, resources include hundreds of files. The source code in the source folder was in obfuscated form. To read code in an obfuscated form, we harness the power of AI by giving our code to ChatGPT and asking it to find a secret flag inside. We discovered a hidden debug flag (debug_bypass_phenotype).

AB - In this research, we are reverse engineering an APK file using the GUI version of the JADX tool. We are receiving two folders from JADX, namely Sources and Resources. Sources contain three thousand files, and similarly, resources include hundreds of files. The source code in the source folder was in obfuscated form. To read code in an obfuscated form, we harness the power of AI by giving our code to ChatGPT and asking it to find a secret flag inside. We discovered a hidden debug flag (debug_bypass_phenotype).

KW - APK

KW - ChatGPT

KW - Deobfuscation using AI

KW - JADX

KW - Obfuscation

KW - Reverse Engineering

KW - Secret Flag

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U2 - 10.1109/MPCON66082.2025.11256567

DO - 10.1109/MPCON66082.2025.11256567

M3 - Conference Paper

AN - SCOPUS:105031403124

SP - 848

EP - 851

BT - Proceedings of the 2025 IEEE Madhya Pradesh Section Conference (MPCON 2025), 29th - 30th August 2025, Jabalpur, India

PB - IEEE

CY - U.S.

Y2 - 29 August 2025 through 30 August 2025

ER -

AI-powered deobfuscation: a novel approach to understanding reverse engineered code

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