PEformaatit

PEformaatit, short for Portable Executable formats, are a family of executable, object code, and dynamic link library formats used primarily on Windows operating systems. They are derived from the COFF specification and cover executable files (.exe), dynamic-link libraries (.dll), system drivers (.sys) and other module types. The PE format has been the standard for Windows NT-based systems since the early 1990s and continues to be used across 32-bit and 64-bit architectures.

Structure: A PE file starts with a DOS stub, followed by the PE signature, a COFF file header, an optional header, and a table of section headers. Data directories point to various tables like imports, exports, resources, and relocations. The file is organized into sections such as .text, .data, .rdata, and .rsrc.

Variants: The main variants are PE32 (32-bit) and PE32+ (64-bit). The format supports features such as ASLR, DEP, and CFG in modern Windows versions.

Usage and parsing: PEformaatit are loaded by the Windows loader. They are analyzed with tools like dumpbin and pedump; forensic tools parse their headers for information. Cross-platform tools may read some parts, but full execution requires Windows or a Windows-compatible environment.

Security and evolution: Microsoft continues to extend the specification; newer Windows releases and drivers continue to rely on the PE format. The format’s support for linking, relocation, and data directories facilitates modular software and driver development.