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Windows Malware Analysis Essentials
Windows Malware Analysis Essentials

Windows Malware Analysis Essentials: Master the fundamentals of malware analysis for the Windows platform and enhance your anti-malware skill set

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Windows Malware Analysis Essentials

Chapter 2. Dancing with the Dead

While many malware analysis tasks involve pattern recognition and investigation on an existing binary disassembly, the level of comfort while performing your tasks will be directly proportional to your ability to think and write in assembly code. How the compiler translates and arranges the source text in a final binary (object code) is a very different process (lexical parsing, tokenizing, data flow analysis, and control flow analysis) from a human expressing their ideas in a text form by using English code constructs. Furthermore, it's the linker (which is invoked by modern compilers) that actually builds the final executable binary from various libraries and other object code sources and resources. If assembly code such as the following does not make sense, this chapter could be of help:

 mov eax,dword ptr[0x402500]
 cdq
 sar eax,4 

Our focus for the current chapter will be the following:

  • x86/x64 assembly programming concepts using VC++ and...

Motivation

To be clear from the outset, it is actually the memory management work that takes up bulk of the work in assembly programming, not the instruction sequences themselves, which can be taken as enablers or the core vocabulary. Each instruction sequence is atomic, and like a set of symbols that have a singular meaning and purpose, very linear. Each instruction in the text form above is called a mnemonic, where each assembly instruction can be taken as a function with a certain requirement and output.

Each assembly line is directly mapped to an opcode sequence consisting of byte patterns that are unique to a particular architecture, for our purposes, the 80x86 family of Intel microprocessors. This mapping is done by an assembler (having dual meaning of both the language and the software used to generate the machine object code), which creates object code from assembly text, which is then processed by the linker to get the final executable.

Assembly code is, by definition, not portable...

Registers

The microprocessor has a set of internal memory scratchpads called registers. These are divided into categories and sub-functions. For 32-bit designs, the general-purpose registers, or rather multipurpose registers, (E is for extended) are EAX, EBX, ECX, EDX, EBP, ESI, EDI, and ESP. Their 16-bit counterparts are AX, BX, CX, DX, BP, SI, DI, and SP

Four of them have the following 8-bit subdivisions, where H means High and L means Low:

  • AX = AH,AL
  • BX = BH,BL
  • CX = CH,CL
  • DX = DH,DL

For 64-bit programming, the general-purpose registers are RAX, RBX, RCX, RDX, RBP, RSI, RDI, and RSP:

  • RAX (addressable as EAX/AX/AH/AL) plays the standard role of an accumulator. It is also used as the placeholder for the return value of a function call. All registers of this set are addressable in a 32/16/8-bit size as well.
  • RBX plays the standard role of base indexing during memory access.
  • RCX is normally used as a counter.
  • RDX is normally used for data operations during division and data type extensions using EAX...

The initiation ritual

Think of assembly language as an arcane text on a stone tablet from an ancient civilization that holds the secret to the fight against evil ghosts in the machine. As you might imagine, before incanting any of your own creations, you first have to understand the alphabet symbols and essential vocabulary of this language. Once you learn to decipher the existing codes, you can be confident about understanding the semantics of what is already written. Thereafter, etching your own ideas will require more investment of your time to understand the nuances of this language and that will happen only when you start writing in code. A little goes a long way, and getting your hands dirty is the primary way that learning can occur.

Let's write a basic console-based C program in Visual Studio C++ 2008 Express Edition, which is a free download from Microsoft, and compile it. Create a new Win32 Console project, type the following code in its entirety, and press F5 to run it. We...

Preparing the alter

Using the inline assembler in VC++ 2008 is simple and convenient enough. However, the caveats are that certain conditional commands such as .IF, .WHILE, and .REPEAT, as well as macros cannot be utilized. Let us look at the three described methods of working with assembly code with your regular toolkit. Visual Studio can be configured to compile assembly code using the MASM assembler in the C code. The C runtime library can be integrated during linking to facilitate this. Create a Win32 project as usual and add a new item.

From the Visual C++ menu, choose the Code and CPP file, and name your file with a .asm extension.

Right-click the project name in the Solution Explorer, and choose Properties | Configuration Properties | Linker | Input.

Type mscvrt.lib in the Additional Dependencies box, and click OK. Then, set Ignore All Default Libraries to Yes.

Preparing the alter

Right-click on the .asm extension assembly file and choose Properties. Open Custom Build Step | Command Line and type: ml -c...

Code constructs in x86 disassembly

Beyond the fundamentals of computing including number systems and Boolean operators, most computer programs make use of constructs that enable us to convey logic in source code and build algorithms that work with and on data structures. This section explains the most essential language constructs in C that should set the tone for how the rest of the book progresses. When analyzing malware, much of your time will be spent in front of the disassembler and debugger, and reading as well as writing assembly code will be a routine activity. The commonly used code constructs for native binary-compiled languages once written to source code are digested by the compiler and linker to produce the final binary executable. To what end the code constructs are compiled is a natural point of interest for the analyst. Since most of the time, the source code of the malware binary is not available, it is mandatory that recognizing code constructs in assembly be practiced...

Motivation


To be clear from the outset, it is actually the memory management work that takes up bulk of the work in assembly programming, not the instruction sequences themselves, which can be taken as enablers or the core vocabulary. Each instruction sequence is atomic, and like a set of symbols that have a singular meaning and purpose, very linear. Each instruction in the text form above is called a mnemonic, where each assembly instruction can be taken as a function with a certain requirement and output.

Each assembly line is directly mapped to an opcode sequence consisting of byte patterns that are unique to a particular architecture, for our purposes, the 80x86 family of Intel microprocessors. This mapping is done by an assembler (having dual meaning of both the language and the software used to generate the machine object code), which creates object code from assembly text, which is then processed by the linker to get the final executable.

Assembly code is, by definition, not portable...

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Description

Windows OS is the most used operating system in the world and hence is targeted by malware writers. There are strong ramifications if things go awry. Things will go wrong if they can, and hence we see a salvo of attacks that have continued to disrupt the normal scheme of things in our day to day lives. This book will guide you on how to use essential tools such as debuggers, disassemblers, and sandboxes to dissect malware samples. It will expose your innards and then build a report of their indicators of compromise along with detection rule sets that will enable you to help contain the outbreak when faced with such a situation. We will start with the basics of computing fundamentals such as number systems and Boolean algebra. Further, you'll learn about x86 assembly programming and its integration with high level languages such as C++.You'll understand how to decipher disassembly code obtained from the compiled source code and map it back to its original design goals. By delving into end to end analysis with real-world malware samples to solidify your understanding, you'll sharpen your technique of handling destructive malware binaries and vector mechanisms. You will also be encouraged to consider analysis lab safety measures so that there is no infection in the process. Finally, we'll have a rounded tour of various emulations, sandboxing, and debugging options so that you know what is at your disposal when you need a specific kind of weapon in order to nullify the malware.

Who is this book for?

This book is best for someone who has prior experience with reverse engineering Windows executables and wants to specialize in malware analysis. The book presents the malware analysis thought process using a show-and-tell approach, and the examples included will give any analyst confidence in how to approach this task on their own the next time around.

What you will learn

  • Use the positional number system for clear conception of Boolean algebra, that applies to malware research purposes
  • Get introduced to static and dynamic analysis methodologies and build your own malware lab
  • Analyse destructive malware samples from the real world (ITW) from fingerprinting and static/dynamic analysis to the final debrief
  • Understand different modes of linking and how to compile your own libraries from assembly code and integrate the codein your final program
  • Get to know about the various emulators, debuggers and their features, and sandboxes and set them up effectively depending on the required scenario
  • Deal with other malware vectors such as pdf and MSOffice based malware as well as scripts and shellcode
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Table of Contents

6 Chapters
1. Down the Rabbit Hole Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
2. Dancing with the Dead Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
3. Performing a Séance Session Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
4. Traversing Across Parallel Dimensions Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
5. Good versus Evil – Ogre Wars Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Index Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Customer reviews

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Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
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1 star 0%
M Oct 21, 2015
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
Very thorough book, I enjoyed reading it !The technical subject is quite high level but thanks to a wonderful and precise introduction about the basics of reverse engineering and disassembling, you can attain your goals of understanding malicious codes.I recommend tremendously !
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Denver Water - Dawson Mar 04, 2016
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
Wonderful published book. Great vendor!!
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James Boddie Jan 25, 2016
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
I have read through the chapters of this book several times, and it is helpful from start to finish. It starts out with well written introductory chapters to catch people back up on the knowledge they need in order to properly grasp later concepts, and it does it well! Concepts such as a basic understanding of bits and x86 assembly that are not otherwise easily grasped. This book also contains a plethora of information on malware structure, basic tooling used to understand malware, and is often written in a playful and enjoyable manner that assists in making the content a pleasure to read. I know it says "Windows" in the title, but many of the topics covered and tooling carries over to other platforms as well.
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Patrick Hazley Jun 19, 2017
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Very good. Just as described - Received book very quickly. For the techie
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