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Learning Linux Binary Analysis

You're reading from   Learning Linux Binary Analysis Learning Linux Binary Analysis

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Product type Paperback
Published in Feb 2016
Publisher Packt
ISBN-13 9781782167105
Length 282 pages
Edition 1st Edition
Languages
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Author (1):
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Ryan "elfmaster" O'Neill Ryan "elfmaster" O'Neill
Author Profile Icon Ryan "elfmaster" O'Neill
Ryan "elfmaster" O'Neill
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Table of Contents (11) Chapters Close

Preface 1. The Linux Environment and Its Tools FREE CHAPTER 2. The ELF Binary Format 3. Linux Process Tracing 4. ELF Virus Technology – Linux/Unix Viruses 5. Linux Binary Protection 6. ELF Binary Forensics in Linux 7. Process Memory Forensics 8. ECFS – Extended Core File Snapshot Technology 9. Linux /proc/kcore Analysis Index

ELF binary packers – dumb protectors


A packer is a type of software that is commonly used by malware authors and hackers to compress or encrypt an executable in order to obfuscate its code and data. One very common packer is named UPX (http://upx.sourceforge.net) and is available as a package on most Linux distributions. The original purpose of this type of packer was to compress an executable and make it smaller.

Since the code is compressed, it must have a way to decompress itself before executing in memory—this is where things get interesting, and we will discuss how this works in the Stub mechanics and the userland exec section. At any rate, malware authors have realized that compressing their malware-infected files would evade AV detection due to obfuscation. This led malware/antivirus researchers to develop automated unpackers, which are now used in most, if not all, modern AV products.

Nowadays, the term "packed binary" refers not only to compressed binaries but also to encrypted binaries...

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