Did Google Disassemble Vista Software

It is reported that the underlying technology of Google Chrome shows Vista was reverse engineered to learn about the usage of Vista security features. It is believed that the source of Google’s disassembly is found here — Bypassing Windows Hardware-enforced Data Execution Prevention.

In an excerpt from CNET:

The Chrome source code said a particular security feature available on Vista, Data Execution Prevention, can be used on Windows XP SP2 and Windows Server 2003 SP1, though it’s not documented for the older operating systems. The source code also said the feature can be understood with a disassembler, a method of reverse-engineering that deconstructs a binary file–such as Windows–into instructions more easily understood by a human.

An explanatory comment in the Chrome source code mentions use of a disassembler to figure out the security feature. “Completely undocumented from Microsoft. You can find this information by disassembling Vista’s SP1 kernel32.dll with your favorite disassembler,” the comment says.

According to Microsoft’s licensing agreement, reverse-engineering of Vista is not allowed: For example, Vista’s End-User License Agreement (PDF) states, “You may not…reverse-engineer, decompile, or disassemble the software, except and only to the extent that applicable law expressly permits, despite this limitation.”

Given that it is not allowed to disassemble Vista, Google has denied these reports. And even if reverse engineering is common in the IT industry, no one would admit it.

Did Google really reverse engineer? Why not? Do you believe they did it? Maybe…