3 ms·

The same is true for iPhone apps (.ipa files). You can just unzip them.

HelloUsername 7mo ago
For many things. Change .epub to .zip for example, you get html text and jpg images
zekica 7mo ago
.docx and .xlsx are also just zip files with XML and attachments. The bad thing is that the XML is Word's internal document structure serialized and behavior for some values is only defined in Microsoft's code.
- godman_8 7mo ago
  Even pk3 files from the id Tech engine are just zip files.
- karamanolev 7mo ago
  I've worked on docx and xlsx import/export and the public documentation for the formats was sufficient for normal documents (maybe excluding some very exotic features). That was ca 2010.
saagarjha 7mo ago
They are typically encrypted, though.
- zffr 7mo ago
  Well the executable binaries inside IPAs are encrypted, but the IPA bundles themselves are typically unencrypted. You should be able to see unencrypted assets inside of them
kotaKat 7mo ago
Sometimes you also find hidden things lurking accidentally left behind in IPAs and APKs that are nice and juicy and realize they've been shipped on Google Play/App Store for years. I've found everything from entire copies of internal company manuals to working test credentials for a physical place with a membership barcode in debug logs left inside the app from developers. Also sometimes changelogs left inside by accident which include things like "It hasn't been sanitized for outside consumption and thus should remain internal to <company>. Deliver it externally at your own risk of embarassment."
echelon_musk 7mo ago
Wait till people discover file(1)!
- kotaKat 7mo ago
  Even better, wait until people discover 7zip's 'parser mode' on Windows (especially). Right click a file -> 7zip -> Open archive -> #:e mode. Really fun way to quickly carve out files and snoop around. I use it like a poor man's binwalk to extract firmware files and updates and etc out of things to usual success. (#:e Parser mode, ignoring full archives, and checks every single byte position of a file for 'start of archive' bytes to parse archives out of a larger file.)
  - mjmas 7mo ago
    That's helpful. I always wondered what the * and # modes were for and why some sometimes only one of them worked.
ruguo 7mo ago
Indeed so
thenthenthen 7mo ago
It is zip files all the way down
bombcar 7mo ago
The elites don’t want you to know this but the distribution file formats on the web are zips you can just unzip them I have 458 zips.

For many things. Change .epub to .zip for example, you get html text and jpg images

.docx and .xlsx are also just zip files with XML and attachments. The bad thing is that the XML is Word's internal document structure serialized and behavior for some values is only defined in Microsoft's code.

godman_8 7mo ago
Even pk3 files from the id Tech engine are just zip files.
karamanolev 7mo ago
I've worked on docx and xlsx import/export and the public documentation for the formats was sufficient for normal documents (maybe excluding some very exotic features). That was ca 2010.

saagarjha 7mo ago

They are typically encrypted, though.

zffr 7mo ago
Well the executable binaries inside IPAs are encrypted, but the IPA bundles themselves are typically unencrypted. You should be able to see unencrypted assets inside of them

kotaKat 7mo ago

Sometimes you also find hidden things lurking accidentally left behind in IPAs and APKs that are nice and juicy and realize they've been shipped on Google Play/App Store for years. I've found everything from entire copies of internal company manuals to working test credentials for a physical place with a membership barcode in debug logs left inside the app from developers. Also sometimes changelogs left inside by accident which include things like "It hasn't been sanitized for outside consumption and thus should remain internal to <company>. Deliver it externally at your own risk of embarassment."

echelon_musk 7mo ago

Wait till people discover file(1)!

kotaKat 7mo ago
Even better, wait until people discover 7zip's 'parser mode' on Windows (especially). Right click a file -> 7zip -> Open archive -> #:e mode. Really fun way to quickly carve out files and snoop around. I use it like a poor man's binwalk to extract firmware files and updates and etc out of things to usual success. (#:e Parser mode, ignoring full archives, and checks every single byte position of a file for 'start of archive' bytes to parse archives out of a larger file.)
- mjmas 7mo ago
  That's helpful. I always wondered what the * and # modes were for and why some sometimes only one of them worked.

ruguo 7mo ago

Indeed so

thenthenthen 7mo ago

It is zip files all the way down

bombcar 7mo ago

The elites don’t want you to know this but the distribution file formats on the web are zips you can just unzip them I have 458 zips.