Learning Malware Analysis

Learning Malware Analysis

By : Monnappa K A

5 (1)

Buy this Book

Learning Malware Analysis

5 (1)

By: Monnappa K A

Buy this Book

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.

Title Page

Dedication

Packt Upsell

Contributors

Preface

Free Chapter

Introduction to Malware Analysis

1. What Is Malware?

2. What Is Malware Analysis?

3. Why Malware Analysis?

4. Types Of Malware Analysis

5. Setting Up The Lab Environment

6. Malware Sources

Summary

Static Analysis

1. Determining the File Type

2. Fingerprinting the Malware

3. Multiple Anti-Virus Scanning

4. Extracting Strings

5. Determining File Obfuscation

6. Inspecting PE Header Information

7. Comparing And Classifying The Malware

Summary

Dynamic Analysis

1. Lab Environment Overview

2. System And Network Monitoring

3. Dynamic Analysis (Monitoring) Tools

4. Dynamic Analysis Steps

5. Putting it All Together: Analyzing a Malware Executable

6. Dynamic-Link Library (DLL) Analysis

Summary

Assembly Language and Disassembly Primer

1. Computer Basics

2. CPU Registers

3. Data Transfer Instructions

4. Arithmetic Operations

5. Bitwise Operations

6. Branching And Conditionals

7. Loops

8. Functions

9. Arrays And Strings

10. Structures

11. x64 Architecture

12. Additional Resources

Summary

Disassembly Using IDA

1. Code Analysis Tools

2. Static Code Analysis (Disassembly) Using IDA

3. Disassembling Windows API

4. Patching Binary Using IDA

5. IDA Scripting and Plugins

Summary

Debugging Malicious Binaries

1. General Debugging Concepts

2. Debugging a Binary Using x64dbg

3. Debugging a Binary Using IDA

4. Debugging a .NET Application

Summary

Malware Functionalities and Persistence

1. Malware Functionalities

2. Malware Persistence Methods

Summary

Code Injection and Hooking

1. Virtual Memory

2. User Mode And Kernel Mode

3. Code Injection Techniques

4. Hooking Techniques

5. Additional Resources

Summary

Malware Obfuscation Techniques

1. Simple Encoding

2. Malware Encryption

3. Custom Encoding/Encryption

4. Malware Unpacking

Summary

Hunting Malware Using Memory Forensics

1. Memory Forensics Steps

2. Memory Acquisition

3. Volatility Overview

4. Enumerating Processes

5. Listing Process Handles

6. Listing DLLs

7. Dumping an Executable and DLL

8. Listing Network Connections and Sockets

9. Inspecting Registry

10. Investigating Service

11. Extracting Command History

Summary

Detecting Advanced Malware Using Memory Forensics

1. Detecting Code Injection

2. Investigating Hollow Process Injection

3. Detecting API Hooks

4. Kernel Mode Rootkits

5. Listing Kernel Modules

6. I/O Processing

7. Displaying Device Trees

8. Detecting Kernel Space Hooking

9. Kernel Callbacks And Timers

Summary

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9. Inspecting Registry

From a forensics perspective, the registry can provide valuable information about the context of the malware. While discussing the persistence methods in Chapter 7, Malware Functionalities and Persistence, you saw how malicious programs add entries in the registry to survive the reboot. In addition to persistence, the malware uses the registry to store configuration data, encryption keys, and so on. To print the registry key, subkeys, and its values, you can use the printkey plugin by providing the desired registry key path using the -K (--key) argument. In the following example of a memory image infected with Xtreme Rat, it adds the malicious executable C:\Windows\InstallDir\system.exe in the Run registry key. As a result, the malicious executable will be executed every time the system starts:

$ python vol.py -f xrat.vmem --profile=Win7SP1x86 printkey -K "Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run"
Volatility Foundation Volatility Framework 2.6
Legend: (S) = Stable (V) ...

Learning Malware Analysis

By : Monnappa K A

Learning Malware Analysis

By: Monnappa K A

Overview of this book

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9. Inspecting Registry