One-Click, anyone?

This seems to me to be the mirror of one-click. If you can describe a process, you can patent it, right? The actual code doesn't matter, it's the IDEA that's important.

So let's say Mr. A finds that a packet which says "ACBD" breaks open a system, then you can you not patent "A prcoess to examine a packet to check for the existance of string "ABCD" and appropriate responses if found..."

You don't need code, you don't need to reverse engineer anything, and you haven't done anything illegal. By default you have added to the knowledge of the system (by finding that ABCD breaks it, which was previously unknown), there's no prior art and it's a technical advancment.

sounds good to me.