Which tool is commonly used for dynamic analysis of malware and disassembly of binary code when source is unavailable?

• A. IDA
• B. BinText
• C. Netstat
• D. Strings

Answer: (A)

Reverse engineering binaries without source code relies on a tool that can turn executable code into readable assembly, map out functions and control flow, and even drive debugging to observe runtime behavior. IDA Pro fits this role best because it provides powerful static disassembly to reveal instructions, function boundaries, and cross-references, and it can be extended with plugins and debugging features for dynamic analysis. This makes it a go-to choice for analyzing malware and other binary-only samples. The other options don’t offer the same combination: BinText looks for strings inside binaries, Netstat reports network connections, and Strings extracts readable strings but does not decode or analyze the underlying code. IDA’s capability to dissect binary code when source isn’t available is why it’s the preferred tool.