Malware Analyst's Cookbook and DVD: Tools and Techniques for Fighting Malicious Code
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More About This Title Malware Analyst's Cookbook and DVD: Tools and Techniques for Fighting Malicious Code

English

A computer forensics "how-to" for fighting malicious code and analyzing incidents

With our ever-increasing reliance on computers comes an ever-growing risk of malware. Security professionals will find plenty of solutions in this book to the problems posed by viruses, Trojan horses, worms, spyware, rootkits, adware, and other invasive software. Written by well-known malware experts, this guide reveals solutions to numerous problems and includes a DVD of custom programs and tools that illustrate the concepts, enhancing your skills.

  • Security professionals face a constant battle against malicious software; this practical manual will improve your analytical capabilities and provide dozens of valuable and innovative solutions
  • Covers classifying malware, packing and unpacking, dynamic malware analysis, decoding and decrypting, rootkit detection, memory forensics, open source malware research, and much more
  • Includes generous amounts of source code in C, Python, and Perl to extend your favorite tools or build new ones, and custom programs on the DVD to demonstrate the solutions

Malware Analyst's Cookbook is indispensible to IT security administrators, incident responders, forensic analysts, and malware researchers.

English

Michael Hale Ligh is a malicious code analyst at Verisign iDefense and Chief of Special Projects at MNIN Security.

Steven Adair is a member of the Shadowserver Foundation and frequently analyzes malware and tracks botnets. He also investigates cyber attacks of all kinds with an emphasis on those linked to cyber espionage.

Blake Hartstein is the author of multiple security tools and a Rapid Response Engineer at Verisign iDefense, where he responds to malware incidents.

Matthew Richard has authored numerous security tools and also ran a managed security service for banks and credit unions.

English

Introduction xv

On The Book’s DVD xxiii

1 Anonymizing Your Activities 1

Recipe 1-1: Anonymous Web Browsing with Tor 3

Recipe 1-2: Wrapping Wget and Network Clients with Torsocks 5

Recipe 1-3: Multi-platform Tor-enabled Downloader in Python 7

Recipe 1-4: Forwarding Traffic through Open Proxies 12

Recipe 1-5: Using SSH Tunnels to Proxy Connections 16

Recipe 1-6: Privacy-enhanced Web browsing with Privoxy 18

Recipe 1-7: Anonymous Surfing with Anonymouse.org 20

Recipe 1-8: Internet Access through Cellular Networks 21

Recipe 1-9: Using VPNs with Anonymizer Universal 23

2 Honeypots 27

Recipe 2-1: Collecting Malware Samples with Nepenthes 29

Recipe 2-2: Real-Time Attack Monitoring with IRC Logging 32

Recipe 2-3: Accepting Nepenthes Submissions over HTTP with Python 34

Recipe 2-4: Collecting Malware Samples with Dionaea 37

Recipe 2-5: Accepting Dionaea Submissions over HTTP with Python 40

Recipe 2-6: Real-time Event Notification and Binary Sharing with XMPP 41

Recipe 2-7: Analyzing and Replaying Attacks Logged by Dionea 43

Recipe 2-8: Passive Identification of Remote Systems with p0f 44

Recipe 2-9: Graphing Dionaea Attack Patterns with SQLite and Gnuplot 46

3 Malware Classification 51

Recipe 3-1: Examining Existing ClamAV Signatures 52

Recipe 3-2: Creating a Custom ClamAV Database 54

Recipe 3-3: Converting ClamAV Signatures to YARA 59

Recipe 3-4: Identifying Packers with YARA and PEiD 61

Recipe 3-5: Detecting Malware Capabilities with YARA 63

Recipe 3-6: File Type Identification and Hashing in Python 68

Recipe 3-7: Writing a Multiple-AV Scanner in Python 70

Recipe 3-8: Detecting Malicious PE Files in Python 75

Recipe 3-9: Finding Similar Malware with ssdeep 79

Recipe 3-10: Detecting Self-modifying Code with ssdeep 82

Recipe 3-11: Comparing Binaries with IDA and BinDiff 83

4 Sandboxes and Multi-AV Scanners 89

Recipe 4-1: Scanning Files with VirusTotal 90

Recipe 4-2: Scanning Files with Jotti 92

Recipe 4-3: Scanning Files with NoVirusThanks 93

Recipe 4-4: Database-Enabled Multi-AV Uploader in Python 96

Recipe 4-5: Analyzing Malware with ThreatExpert 100

Recipe 4-6: Analyzing Malware with CWSandbox 102

Recipe 4-7: Analyzing Malware with Anubis 104

Recipe 4-8: Writing AutoIT Scripts for Joebox 105

Recipe 4-9: Defeating Path-dependent Malware with Joebox 107

Recipe 4-10: Defeating Process-dependent DLLs with Joebox 109

Recipe 4-11: Setting an Active HTTP Proxy with Joebox 111

Recipe 4-12: Scanning for Artifacts with Sandbox Results 112

5 Researching Domains and IP Addresses 119

Recipe 5-1: Researching Domains with WHOIS 120

Recipe 5-2: Resolving DNS Hostnames 125

Recipe 5-3: Obtaining IP WHOIS Records 129

Recipe 5-4: Querying Passive DNS with BFK 132

Recipe 5-5: Checking DNS Records with Robtex 133

Recipe 5-6: Performing a Reverse IP Search with DomainTools 134

Recipe 5-7: Initiating Zone Transfers with dig 135

Recipe 5-8: Brute-forcing Subdomains with dnsmap 137

Recipe 5-9: Mapping IP Addresses to ASNs via Shadowserver 138

Recipe 5-10: Checking IP Reputation with RBLs 140

Recipe 5-11: Detecting Fast Flux with Passive DNS and TTLs 143

Recipe 5-12: Tracking Fast Flux Domains 146

Recipe 5-13: Static Maps with Maxmind, matplotlib, and pygeoip 148

Recipe 5-14: Interactive Maps with Google Charts API 152

6 Documents, Shellcode, and URLs 155

Recipe 6-1: Analyzing JavaScript with Spidermonkey 156

Recipe 6-2: Automatically Decoding JavaScript with Jsunpack 159

Recipe 6-3: Optimizing Jsunpack-n Decodings for Speed and Completeness 162

Recipe 6-4: Triggering exploits by Emulating Browser DOM Elements 163

Recipe 6-5: Extracting JavaScript from PDF Files with pdfpy 168

Recipe 6-6: Triggering Exploits by Faking PDF Software Versions 172

Recipe 6-7: Leveraging Didier Stevens’s PDF Tools 175

Recipe 6-8: Determining which Vulnerabilities a PDF File Exploits 178

Recipe 6-9: Disassembling Shellcode with DiStorm 185

Recipe 6-10: Emulating Shellcode with Libemu 190

Recipe 6-11: Analyzing Microsoft Office Files with OfficeMalScanner 193

Recipe 6-12: Debugging Office Shellcode with DisView and MalHost-setup 200

Recipe 6-13: Extracting HTTP Files from Packet Captures with Jsunpack 204

Recipe 6-14: Graphing URL Relationships with Jsunpack 206

7 Malware Labs 211

Recipe 7-1: Routing TCP/IP Connections in Your Lab 215

Recipe 7-2: Capturing and Analyzing Network Traffic 217

Recipe 7-3: Simulating the Internet with INetSim 221

Recipe 7-4: Manipulating HTTP/HTTPS with Burp Suite 225

Recipe 7-5: Using Joe Stewart’s Truman 228

Recipe 7-6: Preserving Physical Systems with Deep Freeze 229

Recipe 7-7: Cloning and Imaging Disks with FOG 232

Recipe 7-8: Automating FOG Tasks with the MySQL Database 236

8 Automation 239

Recipe 8-1: Automated Malware Analysis with VirtualBox 242

Recipe 8-2: Working with VirtualBox Disk and Memory Images 248

Recipe 8-3: Automated Malware Analysis with VMware 250

Recipe 8-4: Capturing Packets with TShark via Python 254

Recipe 8-5: Collecting Network Logs with INetSim via Python 256

Recipe 8-6: Analyzing Memory Dumps with Volatility 258

Recipe 8-7: Putting all the Sandbox Pieces Together 260

Recipe 8-8: Automated Analysis with ZeroWine and QEMU 271

Recipe 8-9: Automated Analysis with Sandboxie and Buster 276

9 Dynamic Analysis 283

Recipe 9-1: Logging API calls with Process Monitor 286

Recipe 9-2: Change Detection with Regshot 288

Recipe 9-3: Receiving File System Change Notifications 290

Recipe 9-4: Receiving Registry Change Notifications 294

Recipe 9-5: Handle Table Diffing 295

Recipe 9-6: Exploring Code Injection with HandleDiff 300

Recipe 9-7: Watching BankpatchC Disable Windows File Protection 301

Recipe 9-8: Building an API Monitor with Microsoft Detours 304

Recipe 9-9: Following Child Processes with Your API Monitor 311

Recipe 9-10: Capturing Process, Thread, and Image Load Events 314

Recipe 9-11: Preventing Processes from Terminating 321

Recipe 9-12: Preventing Malware from Deleting Files 324

Recipe 9-13: Preventing Drivers from Loading 325

Recipe 9-14: Using the Data Preservation Module 327

Recipe 9-15: Creating a Custom Command Shell with ReactOS 330

10 Malware Forensics 337

Recipe 10-1: Discovering Alternate Data Streams with TSK 337

Recipe 10-2: Detecting Hidden Files and Directories with TSK 341

Recipe 10-3: Finding Hidden Registry Data with Microsoft’s Offline API 349

Recipe 10-4: Bypassing Poison Ivy’s Locked Files 355

Recipe 10-5: Bypassing Conficker’s File System ACL Restrictions 359

Recipe 10-6: Scanning for Rootkits with GMER 363

Recipe 10-7: Detecting HTML Injection by Inspecting IE’s DOM 367

Recipe 10-8: Registry Forensics with RegRipper Plug-ins 377

Recipe 10-9: Detecting Rogue-Installed PKI Certificates 384

Recipe 10-10: Examining Malware that Leaks Data into the Registry 388

11 Debugging Malware 395

Recipe 11-1: Opening and Attaching to Processes 396

Recipe 11-2: Configuring a JIT Debugger for Shellcode Analysis 398

Recipe 11-3: Getting Familiar with the Debugger GUI 400

Recipe 11-4: Exploring Process Memory and Resources 407

Recipe 11-5: Controlling Program Execution 410

Recipe 11-6: Setting and Catching Breakpoints 412

Recipe 11-7: Using Conditional Log Breakpoints 415

Recipe 11-8: Debugging with Python Scripts and PyCommands 418

Recipe 11-9: Detecting Shellcode in Binary Files 421

Recipe 11-10: Investigating Silentbanker’s API Hooks 426

Recipe 11-11: Manipulating Process Memory with WinAppDbg Tools 431

Recipe 11-12: Designing a Python API Monitor with WinAppDbg 433

12 De-Obfuscation 441

Recipe 12-1: Reversing XOR Algorithms in Python 441

Recipe 12-2: Detecting XOR Encoded Data with yaratize 446

Recipe 12-3: Decoding Base64 with Special Alphabets 448

Recipe 12-4: Isolating Encrypted Data in Packet Captures 452

Recipe 12-5: Finding Crypto with SnD Reverser Tool, FindCrypt, and Kanal 454

Recipe 12-6: Porting OpenSSL Symbols with Zynamics BinDiff 456

Recipe 12-7: Decrypting Data in Python with PyCrypto 458

Recipe 12-8: Finding OEP in Packed Malware 461

Recipe 12-9: Dumping Process Memory with LordPE 465

Recipe 12-10: Rebuilding Import Tables with ImpREC 467

Recipe 12-11: Cracking Domain Generation Algorithms 476

Recipe 12-12: Decoding Strings with x86emu and Python 481

13 Working with DLLs 487

Recipe 13-1: Enumerating DLL Exports 488

Recipe 13-2: Executing DLLs with rundll32exe 491

Recipe 13-3: Bypassing Host Process Restrictions 493

Recipe 13-4: Calling DLL Exports Remotely with rundll32ex 495

Recipe 13-5: Debugging DLLs with LOADDLLEXE 499

Recipe 13-6: Catching Breakpoints on DLL Entry Points 501

Recipe 13-7: Executing DLLs as a Windows Service 502

Recipe 13-8: Converting DLLs to Standalone Executables 507

14 Kernel Debugging 511

Recipe 14-1: Local Debugging with LiveKd 513

Recipe 14-2: Enabling the Kernel’s Debug Boot Switch 514

Recipe 14-3: Debug a VMware Workstation Guest (on Windows) 517

Recipe 14-4: Debug a Parallels Guest (on Mac OS X) 519

Recipe 14-5: Introduction to WinDbg Commands And Controls 521

Recipe 14-6: Exploring Processes and Process Contexts 528

Recipe 14-7: Exploring Kernel Memory 534

Recipe 14-8: Catching Breakpoints on Driver Load 540

Recipe 14-9: Unpacking Drivers to OEP 548

Recipe 14-10: Dumping and Rebuilding Drivers 555

Recipe 14-11: Detecting Rootkits with WinDbg Scripts 561

Recipe 14-12: Kernel Debugging with IDA Pro 566

15 Memory Forensics with Volatility 571

Recipe 15-1: Dumping Memory with MoonSols Windows Memory Toolkit 572

Recipe 15-2: Remote, Read-only Memory Acquisition with F-Response 575

Recipe 15-3: Accessing Virtual Machine Memory Files 576

Recipe 15-4: Volatility in a Nutshell 578

Recipe 15-5: Investigating processes in Memory Dumps 581

Recipe 15-6: Detecting DKOM Attacks with psscan 588

Recipe 15-7: Exploring csrssexe’s Alternate Process Listings 591

Recipe 15-8: Recognizing Process Context Tricks 593

16 Memory Forensics: Code Injection and Extraction 601

Recipe 16-1: Hunting Suspicious Loaded DLLs 603

Recipe 16-2: Detecting Unlinked DLLs with ldr_modules 605

Recipe 16-3: Exploring Virtual Address Descriptors (VAD) 610

Recipe 16-4: Translating Page Protections 614

Recipe 16-5: Finding Artifacts in Process Memory 617

Recipe 16-6: Identifying Injected Code with Malfind and YARA 619

Recipe 16-7: Rebuilding Executable Images from Memory 627

Recipe 16-8: Scanning for Imported Functions with impscan 629

Recipe 16-9: Dumping Suspicious Kernel Modules 633

17 Memory Forensics: Rootkits 637

Recipe 17-1: Detecting IAT Hooks 637

Recipe 17-2: Detecting EAT Hooks 639

Recipe 17-3: Detecting Inline API Hooks 641

Recipe 17-4: Detecting Interrupt Descriptor Table (IDT) Hooks 644

Recipe 17-5: Detecting Driver IRP Hooks 646

Recipe 17-6: Detecting SSDT Hooks 650

Recipe 17-7: Automating Damn Near Everything with ssdt_ex 654

Recipe 17-8: Finding Rootkits with Detached Kernel Threads 655

Recipe 17-9: Identifying System-Wide Notification Routines 658

Recipe 17-10: Locating Rogue Service Processes with svcscan 661

Recipe 17-11: Scanning for Mutex Objects with mutantscan 669

18 Memory Forensics: Network and Registry 673

Recipe 18-1: Exploring Socket and Connection Objects 673

Recipe 18-2: Analyzing Network Artifacts Left by Zeus 678

Recipe 18-3: Detecting Attempts to Hide TCP/IP Activity 680

Recipe 18-4: Detecting Raw Sockets and Promiscuous NICs 682

Recipe 18-5: Analyzing Registry Artifacts with Memory Registry Tools 685

Recipe 18-6: Sorting Keys by Last Written Timestamp 689

Recipe 18-7: Using Volatility with RegRipper 692

Index 695

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