Book Image

Learning Malware Analysis

By : Monnappa K A
5 (1)
Book Image

Learning Malware Analysis

5 (1)
By: Monnappa K A

Overview of this book

Malware analysis and memory forensics are powerful analysis and investigation techniques used in reverse engineering, digital forensics, and incident response. With adversaries becoming sophisticated and carrying out advanced malware attacks on critical infrastructures, data centers, and private and public organizations, detecting, responding to, and investigating such intrusions is critical to information security professionals. Malware analysis and memory forensics have become must-have skills to fight advanced malware, targeted attacks, and security breaches. This book teaches you the concepts, techniques, and tools to understand the behavior and characteristics of malware through malware analysis. It also teaches you techniques to investigate and hunt malware using memory forensics. This book introduces you to the basics of malware analysis, and then gradually progresses into the more advanced concepts of code analysis and memory forensics. It uses real-world malware samples, infected memory images, and visual diagrams to help you gain a better understanding of the subject and to equip you with the skills required to analyze, investigate, and respond to malware-related incidents.
Table of Contents (19 chapters)
Title Page
Copyright and Credits
Dedication
Packt Upsell
Contributors
Preface
Index

3. Disassembling Windows API


Malware normally uses Windows API functions(Application Programming Interface) to interact with the operating system (for performing filesystem, process, memory, and network operations). As explained in Chapter 2, Static Analysis, and Chapter 3Dynamic Analysis, Windows exports the majority of its functions required for these interactions in Dynamic Link Libary (DLL) files. Executables import and call these API functions from various DLLs, which provide different functionalities. To call the API, the executable process loads the DLL into its memory and then calls the API function. Inspecting the DLLs that a malware relies upon and the API functions that it imports can give an idea of the functionality and capability of the malware. The following table outlines some of the common DLLs, and the functionalities that they implement:

DLL

Description

Kernel32.dll

This DLL exports functions related to process, memory, hardware, and filesystem operations. Malware imports...