Code, strings, signatures, and other identifying characteristics of a malicious payload stored within a malware repository. It includes both static (file-based) and dynamic (behavioral or execution-based) components that can be analyzed for threat intelligence, detection, and prevention purposes. Examples:
- Static Analysis:
- Executable Code: Analyze binary data to identify unique patterns, obfuscated code, or embedded resources.
- Strings Extraction: Use tools like strings or YARA rules to identify hardcoded URLs, IPs, filenames, or suspicious function calls.
- Signatures: Extract cryptographic hashes (MD5, SHA256) of files to track known malware variants or detect previously unseen samples.
- Dynamic Analysis:
- Behavioral Observations: Monitor execution traces to capture API calls, registry modifications, or network traffic patterns indicative of malicious behavior.
- Memory Analysis: Examine memory dumps to uncover injected code or runtime-decrypted payloads.
- Artifacts: Record file system changes, process creation events, and command-line arguments.
- Threat Intelligence Integration:
- Campaign Attribution: Associate observed code snippets or signatures with known APT campaigns or ransomware families.
- Indicator Sharing: Share identified Indicators of Compromise (IOCs) with threat intelligence platforms (e.g., MISP, OpenCTI).
- Examples of Malware Content:
- Embedded C2 domains (e.g., malicious-domain.com hardcoded in the payload).
- Fileless malware indicators, such as PowerShell scripts invoking Invoke-Mimikatz.
- Malware-specific signatures, such as unique PE header values for a particular strain.
Data Collection Measures:
- Collection from Public Malware Repositories:
- VirusTotal: Obtain samples for static analysis.
- Hybrid Analysis: Gather execution data from sandbox analysis.
- Any.Run: Access interactive malware execution traces.
- MalwareBazaar: Download malware samples for research and signature generation.
- Automate data extraction using repository APIs (e.g., VirusTotal API for hash lookups or sample retrieval).
- Internal Malware Labs:
- Sandbox Environments: Use dynamic malware analysis tools such as Cuckoo Sandbox or Joe Sandbox to execute and monitor malware in a controlled environment. Capture runtime behavior logs, memory dumps, and file system changes.
- Reverse Engineering: Disassemble binaries with tools like IDA Pro, Ghidra, or Radare2 to identify malicious functionality and extract code patterns.
- EDR/Endpoint Telemetry:
- Collect samples of malicious binaries or scripts from infected endpoints using tools like CrowdStrike, Carbon Black, or SentinelOne.
- Extract memory-resident payloads from live systems for analysis.
- Threat Intelligence Platforms:
- Gather contextual metadata for identified malware using tools like OpenCTI, Recorded Future, or ThreatConnect. Participate in intelligence-sharing groups such as ISACs (e.g., FS-ISAC, IT-ISAC).
- Custom Data Collection Pipelines: Use open-source tools like malwoverview or Maltrail to automate sample downloads, hash extraction, and IOC generation.