convert from hex code to exe file in vb.net

Question

I have this code in vb6 that can create an exe file from its hex code. I want to do the same in vb.net.

This is my vb6 code:

Public Sub Document_Open()

    Dim str As String
    Dim hex As String

    hex = hex & "4D 5A 50 00 02 00 00 00 04 00 0F 00 FF FF 00 00 B8 00 00 00 00 00 00 00" 
    hex = hex & "40 00 1A 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00"

    'you have to put the full hex code of the application here

    Dim exe As String
    Dim i As Long
    Dim puffer As Long

    i = 1

    Do
        str = Mid(hex, i, 2)

        'convert hex to decimal
        puffer = Val("&H" & str)

        'convert decimal to ASCII
        exe = exe & Chr(puffer)

        i = i + 2

        If i >= Len(hex) - 2 Then
            Exit Do
        End If
    Loop

    'write to file
    Open "C:\application.exe" For Append As #2
    Print #2, exe
    Close #2

    'and run the exe
    Dim pid As Integer
    pid = Shell("C:\application.exe", vbNormalFocus)

End Sub

it is not a malware just an idea comes to me i did it in vb6 and try to do it in vb.net — Camilla Dx, Oct 18 '13 at 19:49
but it still a good code to study for noobs like me.if you can help me re-write it in vb.net — Camilla Dx, Oct 18 '13 at 19:53
It would be easier if it was a byte array literal instead of a string, but why not just store it as a resource and then, at run-time, just write the resource out to a file? — Steven Doggart, Oct 18 '13 at 20:09
Good idea Stive. i will try it. i want to run my application as service after creating it from its hex code.can i do it if i store it as resource????? — Camilla Dx, Oct 18 '13 at 20:12
How you store the binary data, and how you launch it once it's written to a file, are two completely different and unrelated things. The one has no bearing on the other. — Steven Doggart, Oct 18 '13 at 20:19

Steven Doggart · Answer 1 · 2013-10-18T20:51:29.983

0

It would be easier if the data was defined as a byte array literal, like this:

Dim bytes() As Byte = {&H4D, &H5A, &H50,
                       &H0, &H2, &H0} ' etc...
File.WriteAllBytes("c:\application.exe", bytes)

However, it would be nicer to store the binary data in a resource, then just write the resource out to a file, like this:

File.WriteAllBytes("c:\application.exe", My.Resources.Application_exe)

If you really need to convert it from a hexadecimal string, you could do it like this:

Dim hex As String = "4D 5A 50 00 02 00 00 00 04 00 0F 00 FF FF 00 00 B8 00 00 00 00 00 00 00" &
                    "40 00 1A 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00"
Using fs As New FileStream("c:\application.exe", FileMode.Create, FileAccess.Write)
    For Each byteHex As String In hex.Split()
        fs.WriteByte(Convert.ToByte(byteHex, 16))
    Next
End Using

edited Oct 18 '13 at 20:51

answered Oct 18 '13 at 20:18

Steven Doggart

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Dim bytes() as byte it will take a big string – Camilla Dx Oct 18 '13 at 20:31
Are you asking me how you could do it with a string instead of a byte array literal? I don't know what you mean by your comment. – Steven Doggart Oct 18 '13 at 20:37
You could also store the data in the application as Base64 encoded strings, the overhead will be minimal. – Richie Frame Oct 27 '13 at 10:22

convert from hex code to exe file in vb.net

1 Answers1