Dynamic malware analysis

Dynamic Malware Analysis

When to Use

• When static analysis (examining the code without running it) is insufficient because the malware is heavily packed, encrypted, or obfuscated.
• To rapidly understand the "blast radius" of a malicious payload (What files does it drop? What domains does it contact? What persistence mechanisms does it establish?).
• When you need to extract decryption keys, Command & Control (C2) configurations, or secondary stage payloads that are only unlocked during runtime.

Prerequisites

• Isolated analysis environment (VM with snapshot capability)
• Sample file safely obtained and handled with appropriate precautions
• PE analysis tools (PE-bear, CFF Explorer, Detect It Easy) installed
• Disassembler/decompiler (Ghidra, IDA Free, or Binary Ninja) configured

Workflow

Phase 1: The Sandbox Environment (CRITICAL)

# Concept: NEVER run malware Setup 1. 2. 3. 4. ```

### Phase 2: Instrumentation (Setting the Traps)

```text
# Before detonation 1. Process Monitor (Procmon) 2. Wireshark 3. FakeNet / INetSim # ```

### Phase 3: Detonation and Observation

```bash
# # ```

### Phase 4: Analysis (Connecting the Dots)

```text
# 1. Behavioral 2. Network ```

#### Decision Point 🔀
```mermaid
flowchart TD
    A[Prepare Sandbox reliably ] --> B[Enable ]
    B --> C{Does ]}
    C -->|Yes| D[Log ]
    C -->|No| E[Check ]
    D --> F[Analyze ]

🔵 Blue Team Detection & Defense

• Indicator of Compromise (IoC) Generation: The Behavioral Analytics: EDR Sandbox Evasion Detection: Malware Key Concepts | Concept | Description | |---------|-------------|

Output Format

Dynamic Malware Analysis — Assessment Report
============================================================
Target: [Target identifier]
Assessor: [Operator name]
Date: [Assessment date]
Scope: [Authorized scope]
MITRE ATT&CK: [Relevant technique IDs]

Findings Summary:
  [Finding 1]: [Severity] — [Brief description]
  [Finding 2]: [Severity] — [Brief description]

Detailed Results:
  Phase 1: [Phase name]
    - Result: [Outcome]
    - Evidence: [Screenshot/log reference]
    - Impact: [Business impact assessment]

  Phase 2: [Phase name]
    - Result: [Outcome]
    - Evidence: [Screenshot/log reference]
    - Impact: [Business impact assessment]

Risk Rating: [Critical/High/Medium/Low/Informational]
Recommendations:
  1. [Immediate remediation step]
  2. [Long-term hardening measure]
  3. [Monitoring/detection improvement]

📚 Shared Resources

For cross-cutting methodology applicable to all vulnerability classes, see:

• _shared/references/elite-chaining-strategy.md — Exploit chaining methodology and high-payout chain patterns
• _shared/references/elite-report-writing.md — HackerOne-optimized report writing, CWE quick reference
• _shared/references/real-world-bounties.md — Verified disclosed bounties by vulnerability class

References

• SANS: FOR610: Reverse-Engineering Malware
• REMnux: A Toolkit for Malware Analysts
• Mandiant: Flare-VM