Malware Analysis Techniques

Analyzing malware helps understand its impact and malicious intent, such as stealing data or disrupting systems.

Malware often exploits vulnerabilities in systems. Analyzing it reveals which vulnerability was used, allowing you to fix it and prevent future attacks.

Indicators of Compromise are patterns, files, or behaviors suggesting a system has been compromised. They help security teams detect and respond to attacks.

Knowing the complexity of the intruder helps assess the sophistication of the attack - a skilled hacker or an amateur threat. This guides defense strategies.

Malware analysis identifies unique patterns (signatures) that help Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) recognize and stop similar attacks in the future.

A technique used in static malware analysis to generate a unique identifier for a malware file. This identifier is then compared to a database of known malware signatures to identify the malware.

The process of analyzing the contents of a malware file without executing it. This involves examining file headers, strings, functions, and other static properties.

Techniques used by malware authors to hide the actual purpose and functionality of malware. This involves altering the code to make it difficult to understand and analyze.

A standard executable file format used by Windows operating systems. It contains metadata and information about the structure of the executable, such as headers, sections, and entry points.

A unique hash value calculated from the contents of a file. It acts as a digital fingerprint, allowing for verification of file integrity and detection of modifications.

Malware often hides its true behavior by using packing and obfuscation techniques. Identifying these methods helps analysts reveal the malware's actual functionality.

Analyzing the PE information helps in understanding the structure and functionality of a Windows executable by examining headers, sections, and other details.

A type of analysis that focuses on the actions and behavior of malware during execution. This involves monitoring the malware's interactions with the system, network, and other processes.

PE files store metadata revealing key details about the executable, such as the date and time of compilation, imported functions it uses from external libraries, and linked libraries it depends on.

PEview is a frequently used tool for analyzing PE files to extract metadata like imported functions and resources.

PE Explorer and Resource Hacker are specialized tools for examining embedded resources within PE files. These resources can include things like icons, menus, version information, and strings.

Examining imported and exported functions helps identify which external libraries a PE file uses to run. This provides vital clues about its behavior. In the context of malware analysis, it helps understand how malware interacts with the system.

Understanding an executable's file dependencies, such as external libraries, explains how it interacts with the operating system. This is crucial for understanding a malware's tactics and impact.

IDA Pro is a tool commonly used to disassemble and reverse engineer malware into assembly code, allowing analysts to understand its logic and functionality.

OllyDbg and WinDbg are debugging tools that provide a safe environment to run malware, allowing analysts to examine its behavior step-by-step.

By disassembling malware, investigators can understand the program's logic and identify potential threats, such as data theft or system damage.

Assembly code provides a low-level view of malware's functions, allowing analysts to analyze its inner workings and understand its manipulation techniques.

System baselining creates a snapshot of the system's initial state, allowing analysts to detect any changes made by the malware during analysis.

Dynamic analysis involves observing the malware's behavior and interactions with the system, network, and other processes while it is running.

Dynamic analysis helps analysts observe real-time interactions, understand the malware's functionality in a live environment, and gather valuable insights about its behavior.

A unique digital fingerprint created by hashing the contents of a file. It's used to check if the file has been tampered with or modified.

WinMD5 is a dedicated software tool designed for calculating the MD5 hash of files on Windows operating systems.

A change in the MD5 hash indicates that the file has been modified in some way, potentially due to malware tampering.

Registry entry monitoring tools are used to track modifications made to the Windows registry. This is particularly helpful in detecting changes caused by suspicious programs like malware.

Process Monitor is a widely used tool for monitoring system activity, including changes to the registry. It provides real-time data about processes and registry events.

Static analysis involves examining the contents of a file without actually running it. This includes looking at the file header, strings, functions, and other static properties.

Packing and obfuscation are techniques used by malware authors to hide the true purpose and functionality of malware. They alter the code to make it more difficult to understand and analyze.

Windows Service Manager (SrvMan) is a tool used for managing Windows services, including creating new ones, deleting existing ones, and modifying their configurations.

SrvMan can create both Win32 and Legacy Driver services without requiring a system restart.

The first step in detecting malware in document files is to identify common vulnerabilities and exploits that could be targeted by malicious code.

When analyzing a document for malware, you should look for elements or patterns that suggest malicious activity.

Extracting encrypted scripts from a document during malware analysis is done to decrypt and analyze hidden malicious code.

After extracting scripts from a document, you should analyze them for malicious activity, such as data theft, system disruption, or network access.

Malware often uses packing and obfuscation techniques to conceal its purpose and functionality.

PE (Portable Executable) is a standard file format used by Windows for executables. It contains metadata and essential information about the executable's structure.