Basic Reverse Engineering: Malware Analysis in Isolated Environments
Malware Analysis in Isolated Environments
Prerequisites
Basic programming knowledge in languages such as C, C++, Python, etc.
Basic knowledge of operating systems (Windows, Linux, macOS)
Basic knowledge of cybersecurity (malware concepts, vulnerabilities, etc.)
Malware analysis tools like OllyDbg, IDA Pro, etc.
Analysis Environment Configuration
Operating System Configuration
Install an isolated operating system (for example, Windows 10 in a virtualized environment such as VMware or VirtualBox)
Set the operating system not to connect to the Internet
Configure the operating system so that no network services run
Install malware analysis tool (e.g. OllyDbg or IDA Pro)
Configure the tool to run in isolated mode (e.g. without Internet access)
Configure the tool to run in debug mode (e.g. with access to debug logs)
Analysis Environment Configuration
Create an isolated analysis environment (e.g. a Docker container)
Configure the environment to run in isolated mode (for example, without Internet access)
Configure the environment to run in debug mode (for example, with access to debug logs)
##Malware Analysis
Malware Sample Analysis
Obtain a malware sample (e.g. an executable file)
Analyze the malware sample using malware analysis tool (e.g. OllyDbg or IDA Pro)
Identify the characteristics of the malware sample (for example, its behavior, its vulnerabilities, etc.)
Malware Structure Analysis
Analyze the structure of the malware (e.g. its code, its libraries, etc.)
Identify malware vulnerabilities (e.g. its weak points, etc.)
Identify the characteristics of the malware structure (for example, its complexity, its size, etc.)
Malware Communication Analysis
Analyze the malware's communication (e.g. your Internet connections, your messages, etc.)
Identify malware communication vulnerabilities (e.g. its weak points, etc.)
Identify the communication characteristics of the malware (for example, its speed, its complexity, etc.)
Code Examples
C Code Example
c
#include <stdio.h>
int main() {
printf("Hello world!\n");
return 0;
}
Python Code Example
python
print("Hello world!")
Code Example in IDA Pro
idapro
; Code example in IDA Pro
; 00401000 55 push ebp
; 00401001 8B EC mov ebp,esp
; 00401003 83 EC 10 sub esp,0x10
; 00401006 B8 00 00 00 00 mov eax,0
; 0040100B E8 00 00 00 00 call 00401010
; 00401010 B8 00 00 00 00 mov eax,0
; 00401015 E9 00 00 00 00 jmp 00401010
; 0040101A 90 nop
Configuration Table
| Settings | Value | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Operating System | Windows 10 | Isolated operating system |
| Analysis Tool | OllyDbg | Malware analysis tool |
| Analysis Environment | Docker Container | Isolated analysis environment |
Detailed Architecture
Operating System Architecture
Isolated operating system (e.g. Windows 10)
Setting the operating system to not connect to the Internet
Setting the operating system so that no network services run
Malware analysis tool (e.g. OllyDbg)
Configuring the tool to run in isolated mode (e.g. without Internet access)
Configuring the tool to run in debug mode (e.g. with access to debug logs)
Analysis Environment Architecture
Isolated analysis environment (e.g. a Docker container)
Configuring the environment to run in isolated mode (for example, without Internet access)
Configuring the environment to run in debug mode (e.g. with access to debug logs)
