Skip to content

Chat history

You said:

What does extracting strings in static analysis means in simple english?

ChatGPT said:

In simple English, extracting strings in static analysis means looking inside a file (like a program or
malware) to find readable words or messages that are hidden inside it.

These "strings" are just text — like names, website links, commands, or error messages — that are
written inside the program.

Why it's important:

When you extract these strings, you might find clues about:

 What the program does (e.g., "delete all files")

 Where it connects to (e.g., "[Link]

 Who made it (e.g., "HackerTeam123")

 What it's trying to hide

Real-life example:

Imagine opening a locked box (the program), but without using it. You just shine a light through a
crack and spot a note inside. That note is like the string — a readable message giving hints about
what’s in the box.

So, extracting strings = finding hidden messages inside a file without running it.

You said:

What about file obscifusation

ChatGPT said:

Great question! Let's explain file obfuscation in simple English.

🔐 What is file obfuscation?

File obfuscation means hiding or scrambling the contents of a file to make it hard to understand —
especially for people trying to figure out how it works (like security analysts).

It’s like writing a message in code or using confusing symbols so that no one can easily read it.

🎯 Why is it used?

 Hackers use obfuscation to hide malware from antivirus software or from people trying to
analyze it.
  Software developers sometimes use it to protect their code from being copied or stolen.

🧠 Simple example:

Imagine you write this sentence:

“Delete all files now”

Then you obfuscate it like this:

“D3l3t3@LLf1l3$#n0W”

Now it’s much harder for someone to quickly understand what it says.

🔍 In malware analysis:

If a file is obfuscated, it becomes harder to extract useful strings or analyze what the file is doing —
because everything is scrambled or hidden.

Summary:

File obfuscation is a trick to make a file confusing on purpose, so that people (or antivirus tools)
can't easily tell what it really does.

Let me know if you want an example using code or a real malware scenario!

You said:

Yes

ChatGPT said:

Awesome! Here's a realistic malware scenario showing how file obfuscation and string
extraction work — in simple steps.

🦠 Example: A Hidden Malware File

Let’s say there’s a suspicious file called:

funny_picture.exe

An attacker made it look harmless — like a funny image — but it’s actually malware.

🔍 Static Analysis without Obfuscation (Easy Case)

You extract strings using a tool like [Link], and you find:

[Link]

DeleteAllUserFiles
[Link] /c format C:

Made by: DarkH4cker

✅ Easy! The file is not obfuscated, and the text strings are readable. You can see:

 A bad website it connects to

 A dangerous command to delete files

 A hacker name

🧪 Static Analysis with Obfuscation (Hard Case)

You extract strings again, but this time you see:

g7$#12js!1m2!k99==;

00!!@zzddxxyy!!qq

SGVsbG8gd29ybGQ= ← (Base64 encoded)

❌ Looks like gibberish. Why?

 The attacker has obfuscated the file.

 Strings are scrambled, encoded, or even encrypted.

 This hides clues about what the malware does.

🔓 How Obfuscation Is Done (Tech Tip)

Attackers may use tricks like:

 Encoding (e.g., Base64: SGVsbG8gd29ybGQ= means "Hello world")

 Renaming variables and functions to nonsense

 Encrypting parts of the file

 Packing (compressing the file to hide its true contents)

🧠 Why It Matters:

If you’re analyzing malware:

 Obfuscation slows you down

 Makes it harder to spot dangerous behavior

 You may need special tools or decoding steps to figure out what’s hidden

🧵 Summary:
Term Simple Meaning

String extraction Pulling readable text from a file

File obfuscation Scrambling or hiding the file’s real content

Want me to show you how to decode a Base64-obfuscated string or unpack a simple malware script?

You said:

How does a analyst decode an obfuscate file?

ChatGPT said:

Great question! Decoding an obfuscated file is a key skill in malware analysis — and analysts use
both manual skills and special tools to do it.

Let’s break it down in simple steps:

🔓 How an Analyst Decodes an Obfuscated File

🔍 1. Look for Clues Using String Extraction

Even if the file is obfuscated, some patterns may still be visible:

 Encoded text (like SGVsbG8gd29ybGQ= ← Base64)

 Function names like decrypt(), decode(), or eval()

 Garbage text that repeats (hinting at a custom encoding)

🧠 Example:

You run strings [Link] and find:

aHR0cDovL2V2aWxzZXJ2ZXIuY29tL2ZpbGU=

Looks strange? An analyst might recognize this as Base64 encoded.

They decode it with a tool or script:

echo aHR0cDovL2V2aWxzZXJ2ZXIuY29tL2ZpbGU= | base64 -d

Result:

[Link]

🧰 2. Use Unpacking Tools (if the file is packed)

Sometimes the file is compressed using packers like:

 UPX (Ultimate Packer for eXecutables)

📦 If packed with UPX:

upx -d [Link]

That will unpack it and let the analyst see the real code.

🪛 3. Disassemble the File

If strings and unpacking aren’t enough, analysts open the file in a disassembler like:

 IDA Pro

 Ghidra

 Radare2

These tools let you see the machine instructions (what the computer really runs). Even obfuscated
code becomes understandable with enough analysis.

👀 4. Look for Decryption or Decoding Routines

Sometimes, the malware decrypts or decodes itself while running. Analysts look for code like:

decoded = base64.b64decode(encrypted_string) exec(decoded)

This tells them:

 The data is not readable yet

 But the program decodes it during execution

🧪 5. Use a Sandbox or Debugger (Dynamic Analysis)

If static analysis hits a wall, analysts run the malware safely in a sandbox (isolated lab environment)
to see what it does:

 Wireshark to capture traffic

 Process Monitor to watch file and registry changes

 x64dbg or OllyDbg to step through code and watch it decrypt

💡 In Short:

Step Action

1. Extract strings – look for clues

2. Unpack the file – remove compression

3. Disassemble it – read the code

4. Find and follow decoding functions

5. Run it in a sandbox (if needed)

🧠 Real-World Tip:

Sometimes the best way to decode an obfuscated file is to let the malware decode itself while
you're watching it — and capture the decoded output.

Let me know if you want a walkthrough of one of these steps using a sample script!

ChatGPT can make mistakes. Check important info.