File Internal Structure Verification
Definition
The process of checking specific static values within a file, such as file signatures or magic numbers, to ensure they match the expected values defined by the file format specification.
How it works
File format specifications often define expected values for specific fields. A common example are file signatures, or magic numbers, which are used to quickly identify files. Another example is within the Compound Document Header of Microsoft Office files, the 29th and 30th byte identifies the byte order, specifically 0xFFFE for little-endian. This technique verifies that the file's static values match the values of the declared file format's specification.
References
The following references were used to develop the File Internal Structure Verification knowledge-base article.
(Note: the consideration of references does not imply specific functionality exists in an offering.)