AI reverse engineering let researchers add a new feature to Slack

Researchers demonstrated that AI agents can reconstruct functional source code from compiled binaries of commercial software like Slack and Apple Finder, effectively nullifying the assumption that compilation alone protects intellectual property or hides implementation details. The rebuilt Slack binary was functional enough to add new features, proving that threat actors could use the same techniques to identify hidden vulnerabilities, bypass security controls, or introduce malicious modifications. This matters because many vendors and security teams implicitly rely on 'security through obscurity' via compiled code, without layering additional protections. The same capability that reconstructed Slack could be turned on proprietary security tools, embedded firmware, or malware to accelerate exploitation.