[pepe2233]

reverse engineering isnt just about cracking software its about understanding how things work under the hood its like being a digital detective you are given a finished product an executable or an app and your job is to deconstruct it to see the logic that makes it tick to get into this you need a curious analytical mindset you have to be comfortable with frustration as you will spend hours staring at assembly code that doesnt make sense until suddenly it does

for windows exe
x64dbg x32dbg the absolute standard for debugging it lets you step through code set breakpoints and watch memory in real time
ida pro or ghidra essential for static analysis they translate raw machine code back into readable pseudocode which makes life 100x easier

for linux elf
gdb with gef or pwndbg you will live in the terminal for this gef pwndbg adds a visual layer to gdb that shows you registers and the stack clearly
ghidra it works cross platform so its just as powerful for linux binaries as it is for windows

for android apk
jadx this is your best friend it decompiles android apps into clean readable java code
apktool use this to unpack modify and repack apks if you need to patch them

where to practice
dont just jump into production software use sites designed for practice these are known as crackmes they are challenges specifically built for you to test your skills

crackmes one the go to hub it has thousands of challenges ranging from very easy to hell

final advice start small pick a simple crackme try to find the login logic and dont get discouraged if you get stuck everyone hits a wall the ones who succeed are just the ones who spend a bit more time

[Oiiterrible]

what additional knowledge i need to get started?

[Terry A. Davis]

what additional knowledge i need to get started?

Since any compiled language goes down to machine code ultimately, then constructed back up to assembly, I'd suggest learning some basic assembly to know how flow of code operates, maybe a bit of C wouldn't hurt since that is what pseudo code usually reconstructs to.

Find a simple project you want to start working through and apply yourself, like look for the odd C# CrackMe, they are simple, usually passwords are in clear text as a little guide on how you navigate through programs in the RE world.

[psycheuser]

Great breakdown of the tools! Assembly and C definitely seem like the best starting point.