[🔬 ADVANCED STATIC ANALYSIS]
// Master sophisticated reverse engineering techniques. Learn advanced disassembly, decompilation, control flow analysis, and anti-analysis evasion to dissect the most complex malware and protected software.
[🎯 LEARNING_OBJECTIVES]
> mastery_goals.list
- [✓]Master advanced disassembly tools (IDA Pro, Ghidra, Binary Ninja)
- [✓]Perform sophisticated decompilation and pseudocode analysis
- [✓]Build and interpret control flow graphs (CFGs)
- [✓]Conduct data flow and dependency analysis
- [✓]Defeat anti-analysis and obfuscation techniques
- [✓]Apply advanced techniques to real-world malware samples
> prerequisites.cfg
- - Completed Lesson 4: Static Analysis
- - Completed Lesson 5: Dynamic Analysis
- - Advanced assembly language skills
- - Understanding of system APIs and calling conventions
- - Experience with file formats (PE/ELF/Mach-O)
[🔧 ADVANCED_DISASSEMBLY_TOOLS]
IDA Pro
Industry Standard
🚀 Key Features:
- • Multi-architecture support (x86, x64, ARM, MIPS)
- • Advanced decompiler (Hex-Rays)
- • Powerful plugin ecosystem
- • Collaborative analysis features
- • Signature libraries (FLIRT)
Ghidra
NSA's Open Source
🔓 Key Features:
- • Free and open source
- • Built-in decompiler
- • Collaborative project sharing
- • Extensible with Java plugins
- • Version tracking and diffing
Binary Ninja
Modern Interface
⚡ Key Features:
- • Modern, intuitive interface
- • Medium Level IL (MLIL)
- • API for custom analysis
- • Cloud-based collaboration
- • Integrated debugger
[🌐 CONTROL_FLOW_ANALYSIS]
📊 Understanding Control Flow Graphs
Control Flow Graphs (CFGs) visualize how program execution can flow between different code blocks. They're essential for understanding program logic and identifying suspicious patterns.
CFG Components:
- • Basic Blocks: Sequences of instructions with single entry/exit
- • Edges: Possible execution paths between blocks
- • Entry Point: Where program execution begins
- • Exit Points: Where functions/program terminates
🔍 CFG Analysis Techniques
Path Analysis
Identify execution paths and code coverage
Loop Detection
Identify loops and potential infinite execution
Dominance Analysis
Find code blocks that control execution flow
[🔄 DECOMPILATION_TECHNIQUES]
🎯 From Assembly to High-Level Code
Decompilation reverses the compilation process, transforming machine code back into readable high-level language constructs. This makes complex binaries much easier to understand.
Assembly Code
Decompiled C Code
🛠️ Decompilation Challenges
⚠️ Optimization Effects
Compiler optimizations can make decompiled code look very different from the original source
🔀 Control Flow Obfuscation
Malware often uses control flow flattening and other techniques to confuse decompilers
📚 Type Recovery
Decompilers must guess data types and structures from assembly instructions
💡 Best Practices
✅ Manual Annotations
Add comments and rename variables to improve readability
🎯 Focus on Key Functions
Start with entry points and work towards functions of interest
🔄 Cross-Reference Analysis
Use both assembly and decompiled views for complete understanding
[🛡️ ANTI_ANALYSIS_TECHNIQUES]
Understanding the Arms Race
Malware authors constantly develop new techniques to evade analysis. As a reverse engineer, you need to understand these methods to effectively analyze modern threats. This is an ongoing arms race between attackers and defenders.
🎭 Common Evasion Techniques
📦 Packing & Compression
Executable is compressed/encrypted and unpacks itself at runtime
🔀 Control Flow Obfuscation
Code flow is intentionally made complex to confuse analysis tools
🕵️ Anti-Debugging
Techniques to detect and prevent debugger attachment
⏰ Time-Based Evasion
Malware delays execution to avoid dynamic analysis sandboxes
🗡️ Defeating Anti-Analysis
📂 Unpacking Strategies
Methods to extract the original executable from packed samples
🔧 Debugger Detection Bypass
Techniques to hide debugger presence from malware
⚡ Static Unpacking
Reconstruct original code without executing the malware
🎯 Selective Analysis
Focus on specific functions while ignoring obfuscated code
[🧪 ADVANCED_STATIC_ANALYSIS_LAB]
Professional Malware Analysis Laboratory
Master advanced static analysis with three sophisticated educational malware samples. Each demonstrates real-world evasion techniques across Windows, Linux, and macOS platforms in a safe, controlled environment.
Crypto Miner
Windows PE Analysis
🔍 Techniques:
- • Anti-debugging (PEB, IsDebuggerPresent)
- • String encryption (XOR cipher)
- • Control flow obfuscation
- • Process injection prep
- • Registry persistence
Rootkit
Linux ELF Analysis
🔍 Techniques:
- • ELF manipulation & hooking
- • Library interposition
- • Process hiding techniques
- • Network backdoor
- • Anti-forensics methods
Info Stealer
macOS Mach-O Analysis
🔍 Techniques:
- • Mach-O header manipulation
- • Keychain data extraction
- • LaunchAgent persistence
- • Browser data harvesting
- • Gatekeeper bypass
[📚 LAB_RESOURCES]
📖 Complete Documentation
🎯 What You'll Master
- • Professional reverse engineering tools (Ghidra, IDA Pro)
- • Advanced anti-analysis evasion techniques
- • Cross-platform malware comparison
- • YARA signature development
- • IoC extraction and threat intelligence
- • Control flow graph interpretation
📋 Lab Exercises (6 Total)
- [EX-1]Multi-platform malware analysis and comparison
- [EX-2]Advanced disassembly with Ghidra and IDA Pro
- [EX-3]Control flow graph generation and analysis
- [EX-4]Anti-analysis technique identification & bypass
- [EX-5]IoC extraction and YARA rule development
- [EX-6]Comprehensive malware analysis report
🛠️ Setup Requirements
Analysis Tools
Environment
⚠️ Safety Protocol
- • Always use isolated VMs for analysis
- • Never run samples on host systems
- • Educational samples only - safe but treat as real
- • Take snapshots before beginning analysis
[📦 COMPLETE_LAB_PACKAGE]
🎯 All Lab Files
📚 Documentation
✅ Lab Completion
Upon completing all exercises, you'll have mastered advanced static analysis techniques used by professional malware analysts and incident responders worldwide.