Glossary
PE format (Portable Executable)
The file format of Windows executables, DLLs, drivers and EFI binaries: an MS-DOS header, a PE signature, COFF and optional headers, and a section table.
Portable Executable is the format Windows uses for programs and libraries: .exe, .dll, .sys drivers, .scr, .cpl, .ocx and EFI applications. A PE file starts with an MS-DOS header, then the PE\0\0 signature, a COFF file header, an optional header and a section table describing how the file is mapped into memory (Microsoft PE Format).
PE32 is the 32-bit variant and PE32+ the 64-bit one. Static analysis reads this structure without executing anything; see the PE format for incident responders.