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- One or more symbolic expressions (e.g., x0_18, *x1_2)
- Their SMT-solved value ranges
- Decompiled pseudocode or IR from the associated function(s)
Prompts focus on what to analyze while deliberately omitting unnecessary
exclusions. Instead of relying on vague or negatively framed instructions,
each prompt directs the model's attention to the data-flow and security
implications of a specific set of symbolic expressions.
This strategy eliminates the need to specify vulnerability classes
(e.g., use-after-free or integer overflow). The model evaluates how
untrusted data propagates through control flow, memory operations, and
return values, without presupposing any specific bug type.
To demonstrate how E0 guides LLM attention using scoped symbolic inputs,
the following prompts show concrete examples of how symbolic expressions,
value ranges, and function context are packaged into focused vulnerability
analysis queries.
.-------------------------------------------------------------------------.
| Sample Prompt #1 | System + User Prompt (with few constraints) |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| System Prompt: |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| You are an expert in vulnerability researching C++ code. The user will |
| provide: |
| 1. A C++ function, which has been decompiled from ARM64 assembly. |
| 2. A list of one or more user controllable expression(s) in the |
| function. |
| The user only controls the result of the provided controllable |
| expression(s) and nothing else. |
| |
| Perform a security analysis of the usage of the output result of the |
| user provided controllable expression(s). All other uncontrolled inputs |
| to the function are safe. Do not make assumptions about subsequent |
| operations that are not provided and/or do not exist in the provided |
| function. Bypassing error handling and controlling the function return |
| value is not a vulnerability. |
| |
| At the end of your response say Vulnerable or Not Vulnerable. |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| User Prompt: |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Controllable Expression(s): |
| - "get32Value()" : result range is 0x0 to 0xffffffff |
| - "int32_t x0_18" : result range is 0x0 to 0xffffffff |
| - "int32_t x0_26" : result range is 0x0 to 0xffff |
| - "int32_t x0_27" : result range is 0x0 to 0xff |
| - "uint32_t x8_12" : result range is 0x1 to 0x9 |
| - "uint32_t x9_3" : result range is 0x8 to 0x20 |
| - "x0_24" : result range is 0x0 to 0xffffffff |
| |
| Function: |
| int64_t ABCPlugin::init(IIODictionary* arg1) |
| { |
| <function code ...> |
| } |
'-------------------------------------------------------------------------'
The first prompt uses a structured System-User format with moderate
constraints, including explicit negative instructions (e.g., what not to
consider a vulnerability). In contrast, the second prompt is minimal and
purely positive, containing no exclusions or negations. It leaves the
model free to reason within the provided symbolic context alone.
.-------------------------------------------------------------------------.
| Sample Prompt #2 | Minimal Positive Prompt (with no constraints) |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| User Prompt: |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Conduct a comprehensive security analysis of the following function, |
| when the output of the following controllable expression is fully |
| controlled by the attacker. The attacker only controls the result of |
| the provided controllable expression and nothing else. |
| Structure your response. |
| At the end of your response say Vulnerable or Not Vulnerable: |
| VULNERABLE/NOT VULNERABLE |
| |
| Controllable Expression: |
| - "*(uint64_t*)((char*)arg6 + *(uint64_t*)(*(uint64_t*)arg6 - 0x138)) + |
| 0x28" : result range is 0x0 to 0xffffffff |
| |
| Function: |
| int64_t sub_18be031d0(int32_t arg1, int32_t arg2, void** arg3, |
| uint32_t arg4, char* arg5, int64_t* arg6) |
| { |
| <function code ...> |
| } |
'-------------------------------------------------------------------------'
These examples demonstrate how E0 grounds LLM reasoning in symbolic
inputs, ensuring that prompts reflect only untrusted-input influence and
feasible execution paths, driving both interpretability and a low
false-positive rate.
---[ 12.3 - Code Context Representation
Modern LLMs reason best when provided with higher-level code
representations. While E0's symbolic expressions originate from low-level
assembly, these expressions are often difficult for LLMs to interpret in