What are Malware analysis tools in forensic?

Malware analysis is a crucial element of cybersecurity forensics that involves evaluating malicious software to understand its behavior, functionality, and potential impact. Forensic analysts often use several tools for malware analysis in cybersecurity investigations. Here are some commonly used tools for analyzing malware in cybersecurity forensic investigations:

1. IDA Pro: Analysts use IDA Pro as a well-known disassembler and debugger to reverse engineer binary files. This versatile tool helps them study the assembly code of malware to determine its functionality.
2. Ghidra: Security experts employ Ghidra, an open-source software reverse engineering framework developed by the National Security Agency (NSA). It provides disassembly, decompilation, and various analysis capabilities, making it a powerful tool for malware analysis.
3. PEiD: Analysts use PEiD to detect packers, cryptors, and compilers in malware binaries. This tool assists them in determining whether the malware is attempting to conceal its true nature.
4. Cuckoo Sandbox: Security professionals rely on Cuckoo Sandbox, an open-source automated malware analysis system, to execute malware samples and observe their behavior in a controlled environment. It generates comprehensive reports on the actions taken by malware during execution.
5. VirusTotal: Although primarily known as an online multi-engine antivirus scanner, VirusTotal offers various tools and features for analyzing suspicious files, URLs, and domains. It aggregates results from multiple antivirus engines and provides additional context.
6. REMnux: Designed for reverse engineering and malware analysis, REMnux is a Linux distribution that includes a variety of open-source static and dynamic analysis tools.
7. YARA: Analysts utilize YARA, a pattern-matching tool, to identify and classify malware based on predefined rules. It proves highly valuable for tracking down and categorizing both known and potentially unknown malware samples.
8. Wireshark: Network professionals employ Wireshark, a network packet analyzer, to analyze network traffic generated by malware. It aids in understanding how malware communicates with command and control servers or other malicious infrastructure.
9. Process Monitor (Procmon): Windows administrators and analysts use Procmon, a Windows utility, to monitor and log system activity, including file system and registry changes. It helps in detecting suspicious behavior exhibited by malware.
10. CuckooDroid: Analysts studying Android malware rely on CuckooDroid, an extension of Cuckoo Sandbox designed specifically for Android malware analysis. It provides a secure environment for executing and analyzing Android apps.
11. Radare2: Security researchers utilize Radare2, a free and open-source reverse engineering framework with a disassembler and debugger. It is highly extensible and can be scripted for customized analysis.
12. Anubis: Anubis is an automated malware analysis platform that executes malware in a sandboxed environment and provides detailed reports on its behavior.
13. PEStudio: PEStudio, a Windows application, analyzes Portable Executable (PE) files to uncover potential malware indicators, such as suspicious imports and sections.
14. Regshot: Windows users employ Regshot, a utility for comparing the Windows Registry before and after running a program. It assists in identifying registry modifications made by malware.
15. FLOSS (FireEye Labs Obfuscated String Solver): Security experts use FLOSS to extract and deobfuscate strings from malware samples, facilitating a better understanding of their operation.

These malware analysis tools serve different purposes, and analysts often use a combination of them to comprehensively analyze malicious software. Proper malware analysis involves a mix of static analysis (examining the code and file properties) and dynamic analysis (executing the malware and monitoring its behavior), and these tools play a crucial role in both approaches. To know about these tools and how you can protect your business from malware contact us.