MalwareAnalyse

Malware analysis, sometimes written as malwareanalyse in German-language contexts, is the process of examining software designed to disrupt, damage, or gain unauthorized access to computer systems, to understand its behavior, origins, and potential impact. It supports incident response, threat intelligence, and defense by revealing how a sample operates and what resources it targets.

Static analysis inspects the binary without executing it. Analysts examine headers, strings, imports, and code structure, and may perform disassembly to reveal logic paths. This can identify capabilities, obfuscation, and potential kill switches while avoiding execution.

Dynamic analysis runs the sample in a controlled environment, such as a sandbox, to observe runtime behavior. Analysts monitor file changes, registry edits, process creation, memory use, and network traffic, collecting artifacts for review.

Memory forensics, behavioral profiling, and automated tooling complement other methods. Reports document techniques used, indicators of compromise, and mitigations, and may map findings to frameworks such as MITRE ATT&CK.

Practitioners rely on a mix of tools and environments, including disassemblers, debuggers, and sandbox platforms.

Challenges include packed or encrypted payloads, anti-analysis tricks, and evolving malware families. Analysts work in isolated labs and follow legal and ethical guidelines.

Malware analysis is a core discipline in cybersecurity, informing detection, defense, and threat intelligence.