Visual Basic Decompilers

Program-Transformation.Org: The Program Transformation Wiki
For Visual Basic programs compiled to .NET (e.g. with Visual Studio .NET 2003 or later), see DotNetDecompilers.

  • JosephCo wrote a decompiler called Exdec.
  • VBDis 3/4/5 by DoDi. Version 3 (for VB version 3) was the most successful, because it has the most information in the "executable" (including comments!). VBDis 3 is available from this page.
  • Decompiler Technologies (formerly Visual Basic Right Back) is a decompilation service.
  • http://www.vb-decompiler.com: VB Decompiler Forum. Even includes some specifics on building a VB5/VB6 decompiler.
  • http://www.vb-decompiler.org: decompiles pcode, "high level assembler" for native code. Proprietary software, but free (as in beer) "Lite" version is available.
  • VBDE by Iorior dumps GUI information about VB executables; some decompilation ability
  • WKTVBDebugger VB debugger by WTK
  • http://www.decompiler-vb.net. VBReFormer is a decompiler for native Visual Basic applications. It shows design code data (forms, controls, etc.), allows the modification of design properties directly on the binary, can disassemble native code, and can decompile native code (as much as that is possible).
  • VBEditor by Hexman recovers Gui Information
  • R.A.C.E. by Sarge recovers Gui Information, and P-Code opcodes.
  • P32Dasm by Darker is a P-Code decompiler which decompiles to P-Code tokens.
  • Semi VB Decompiler by vbgamer45 recovers gui information, and P-Code tokens. For VB 5 and 6. Does not recompile native code.
  • VB Parser - Recovers P-Code tokens.
  • VBRezQ recovers the project file and forms.
  • http://vbdebug.cjb.net for a Visual Basic debugger (p-code programs only) by Mr Silver and Mr Snow.
  • VB Shrink by Cute-Bits is a tool that strips non essential info from the executable, to make it more difficult to decompile
  • VB EXE Obfuscator by Jory
  • Decompiler Defeater (see DeFeater)
  • Visual Basic MAK Compiler Pro (aka make_mak) by Christian Germelmann has a check box decompDefeat; the author claims "your apps will be immune against 'reverse engeneering'".
  • See also http://www.riis.com/archives/19980503.html on VB decompilation. (Dead link check out archive.org if you want to view that article.)
  • See also Master the Black Art of the VB Interpreter, Ash Rofail. In Visual Basic Programmer's Journal, Dec 1996, pp 58-64.
  • The paper Visual Basic Reversed - A decompiling approach by Andrea Geddon has lots of details about the internals of VB5 and VB6 native (machine code) compiled programs. This is not a peer reviewed academic paper, and is written from a cracking point of view.
  • decompiler.com (bad link!) had some good links on this page, now only available from archive.org: http://www.decompiler.com/viewtopic.php?t=2 (from the Software Reviews forum, Software Listings topic). There was also other good information in forums and the like; this site was heavily Visual Basic oriented. Several tools were available for download. Offline since late 2003.

Other

CategoryDecompilation