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Reversing malware analysis training part3 windows pefile formatbasics
Disclaimer
The Content, Demonstration, Source Code and Programs presented here
is "AS IS" without any warranty or conditions of any kind. Also the
views/ideas/knowledge expressed here are solely of the trainer’s only and
nothing to do with the company or the organization in which the trainer is
currently working.
However in no circumstances neither the trainer nor Cysinfo is
responsible for any damage or loss caused due to use or misuse of the
information presented here.
Acknowledgement
 Special thanks to null & Garage4Hackers community for their extended
support and cooperation.
 Thanks to all the trainers who have devoted their precious time and
countless hours to make it happen.
Reversing & Malware Analysis Training
This presentation is part of our Reverse Engineering & Malware
Analysis Training program. Currently it is delivered only during our local
meet for FREE of cost.
Who am I #1
Amit Malik (sometimes DouBle_Zer0,DZZ)
 Member SecurityXploded & Garage4Hackers
 Security Researcher
 RE, Exploit Analysis/Development, Malware Analysis
 Email: m.amit30@gmail.com
Who am I #2
Swapnil Pathak
 Member SecurityXploded
 Security Researcher
 RE, Malware Analysis, Network Security
 Email: swapnilpathak101@gmail.com
 PE – Portable Executable
 PE is the native Win32 file format.
 32-bit DLL, COM, OCX, Control Panel Applets(.CPL), .NET, NT
kernel mode drivers are all PE File Format.
 How windows loader loads the executable in memory.
 How loader build the import and export table for a module in memory
 From where to start the execution or Address of entry point
 Answer of the question “how binary compiled on a version of windows
works on another version of windows?”
 Where should attacker attack 
 Also today’s malwares are generally encrypted, packed. In order to rebuild
the original binary we need to know how the binary is structured.
Reversing malware analysis training part3 windows pefile formatbasics
 Most common sections found in executable are
◦ Executable Code section (.text , CODE)
◦ Data Sections (.data, .rdata, .bss, DATA)
◦ Resources section (.rsrc)
◦ Export Section (.edata)
◦ Import Section (.idata)
◦ Debug Information Section (.debug)
 All PE files start with DOS header
 First 64 bytes of the file.
 Run program in DOS.
 Runs the DOS stub
 Usually the string
“This program must be run under Microsoft Windows”
 e_lfanew is the pointer to PE or NT header
 Structure defined in windows.inc or winnt.h
e_magic = 4D, 5A (MZ)
e_lfanew is a DWORD which contains the offset of the PE header
 Begins with signature (DWORD) 50h, 45h, 00h, 00h
 Letters “PE” followed by two terminating zeros
 File Header- 20 Bytes – contains info about physical layout and
properties of the file
 Optional Header- 224 Bytes – contains info about the logical layout
of the PE file – size given by member of File header
 Machine
 NumberOfSections
 SizeOfOptionalHeader
 Characteristics
Reversing malware analysis training part3 windows pefile formatbasics
 AddressOfEntryPoint
 ImageBase
 SectionAlignment
 FileAlignment
 SizeOfImage
 SizeOfHeaders
 Subsystem
 DataDirectory
 Last 128 bytes of OptionalHeader
 Array of 16 Image_Data_Directory structures
 Each relating to an important data structure like the Import Table
 Members
 Virtual Address : RVA of the data structure
 iSize : size in bytes of the data structure
Reversing malware analysis training part3 windows pefile formatbasics
 IMAGE_DIRECTORY_ENTRY_EXPORT
 IMAGE_DIRECTORY_ENTRY_IMPORT
 IMAGE_DIRECTORY_ENTRY_RESOURCE
 IMAGE_DIRECTORY_ENTRY_TLS
 IMAGE_DIRECTORY_ENTRY_IAT
 Array of IMAGE_SECTION_HEADER
 Equal to the numberofsections – FileHeader member.
 Each structure size = 40 bytes
 Name – Virtually can be anything in text
 VirtualSize – Size of section in memory
 VirtualAddress – section entry offset in memory (RVA)
 SizeOfRawData – Size of section on disk
 PointerToRawData – section entry offset on disk
 Characteristics – Type of section (execuatble, data etc.)
 Section Alignment and File Alignment are two important
values from optional header that control the entry point of
next section.
 The structure of PE file on disk is exactly the same as when it is
loaded into memory.
 The windows loader maps the required sections in memory.
 When sections are loaded into memory they are aligned to fit 4KB
memory pages (Section Alignment), each section starting on a new
page.
 Executable code
 Data
 Resources
 Export section
 Import section
 Thread Local Storage (TLS)
 Base Relocations (reloc.)
 Relevant to DLLs
 Export functions in two ways
- By name
- By ordinal only
 Ordinal – 16 bit value that uniquely defines a function in particular
DLL
nName
nBase
NumberOfFunctions
NumberOfNames
AddressOfFunctions
AddressOfNames
AddressOfNameOrdinals
Export by Ordinal only
Export Forwarding
 Contains information about all functions imported by executable
from DLLs
 Loader maps all the DLLs used by the application into its address
space
 Finds the addresses of all the imported functions and makes them
available to the executable being loaded.
 20 byte structure IMAGE_IMPORT_DESCRIPTOR
 Number of structures = Number of DLLs imported
 Last structure filed with zeros
 OriginalFirstThunk
 Name1
 FirstThunk
Hint
Name1
 Each IMAGE_THUNK_DATA str corresponds to one imported
function from the dll.
 Arrays pointed by OriginalFirstThunk and FirstThunk run parallelly.
 OriginalFirstThunk – Import Name Table – Never modified
 FirstThunk – Import Address Table – Contain actual function
addresses
Functions exported by ordinal only
- No IMAGE_IMPORT_BY_NAME structure
-IMAGE_THUNK_DATA contains the ordinal of the function
-MSB used to identify the same
- MSB is set, rest 31 bits are treated as an ordinal value.
-Bound Imports
Reversing malware analysis training part3 windows pefile formatbasics
 Write a program in “C” or “ASM” that will modify the Address of
Entry point of an Executable (.exe) file with any random address.
 Write a program in “C” or “ASM” that will add a new section into an
executable (.exe)
◦ For hints shoot us an email 
Thank You !

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Reversing malware analysis training part3 windows pefile formatbasics

  • 2. Disclaimer The Content, Demonstration, Source Code and Programs presented here is "AS IS" without any warranty or conditions of any kind. Also the views/ideas/knowledge expressed here are solely of the trainer’s only and nothing to do with the company or the organization in which the trainer is currently working. However in no circumstances neither the trainer nor Cysinfo is responsible for any damage or loss caused due to use or misuse of the information presented here.
  • 3. Acknowledgement  Special thanks to null & Garage4Hackers community for their extended support and cooperation.  Thanks to all the trainers who have devoted their precious time and countless hours to make it happen.
  • 4. Reversing & Malware Analysis Training This presentation is part of our Reverse Engineering & Malware Analysis Training program. Currently it is delivered only during our local meet for FREE of cost.
  • 5. Who am I #1 Amit Malik (sometimes DouBle_Zer0,DZZ)  Member SecurityXploded & Garage4Hackers  Security Researcher  RE, Exploit Analysis/Development, Malware Analysis  Email: [email protected]
  • 6. Who am I #2 Swapnil Pathak  Member SecurityXploded  Security Researcher  RE, Malware Analysis, Network Security  Email: [email protected]
  • 7.  PE – Portable Executable  PE is the native Win32 file format.  32-bit DLL, COM, OCX, Control Panel Applets(.CPL), .NET, NT kernel mode drivers are all PE File Format.
  • 8.  How windows loader loads the executable in memory.  How loader build the import and export table for a module in memory  From where to start the execution or Address of entry point  Answer of the question “how binary compiled on a version of windows works on another version of windows?”  Where should attacker attack   Also today’s malwares are generally encrypted, packed. In order to rebuild the original binary we need to know how the binary is structured.
  • 10.  Most common sections found in executable are ◦ Executable Code section (.text , CODE) ◦ Data Sections (.data, .rdata, .bss, DATA) ◦ Resources section (.rsrc) ◦ Export Section (.edata) ◦ Import Section (.idata) ◦ Debug Information Section (.debug)
  • 11.  All PE files start with DOS header  First 64 bytes of the file.  Run program in DOS.  Runs the DOS stub  Usually the string “This program must be run under Microsoft Windows”  e_lfanew is the pointer to PE or NT header  Structure defined in windows.inc or winnt.h
  • 12. e_magic = 4D, 5A (MZ) e_lfanew is a DWORD which contains the offset of the PE header
  • 13.  Begins with signature (DWORD) 50h, 45h, 00h, 00h  Letters “PE” followed by two terminating zeros  File Header- 20 Bytes – contains info about physical layout and properties of the file  Optional Header- 224 Bytes – contains info about the logical layout of the PE file – size given by member of File header
  • 14.  Machine  NumberOfSections  SizeOfOptionalHeader  Characteristics
  • 16.  AddressOfEntryPoint  ImageBase  SectionAlignment  FileAlignment  SizeOfImage  SizeOfHeaders  Subsystem  DataDirectory
  • 17.  Last 128 bytes of OptionalHeader  Array of 16 Image_Data_Directory structures  Each relating to an important data structure like the Import Table  Members  Virtual Address : RVA of the data structure  iSize : size in bytes of the data structure
  • 19.  IMAGE_DIRECTORY_ENTRY_EXPORT  IMAGE_DIRECTORY_ENTRY_IMPORT  IMAGE_DIRECTORY_ENTRY_RESOURCE  IMAGE_DIRECTORY_ENTRY_TLS  IMAGE_DIRECTORY_ENTRY_IAT
  • 20.  Array of IMAGE_SECTION_HEADER  Equal to the numberofsections – FileHeader member.  Each structure size = 40 bytes
  • 21.  Name – Virtually can be anything in text  VirtualSize – Size of section in memory  VirtualAddress – section entry offset in memory (RVA)  SizeOfRawData – Size of section on disk  PointerToRawData – section entry offset on disk  Characteristics – Type of section (execuatble, data etc.)  Section Alignment and File Alignment are two important values from optional header that control the entry point of next section.
  • 22.  The structure of PE file on disk is exactly the same as when it is loaded into memory.  The windows loader maps the required sections in memory.  When sections are loaded into memory they are aligned to fit 4KB memory pages (Section Alignment), each section starting on a new page.
  • 23.  Executable code  Data  Resources  Export section  Import section  Thread Local Storage (TLS)  Base Relocations (reloc.)
  • 24.  Relevant to DLLs  Export functions in two ways - By name - By ordinal only  Ordinal – 16 bit value that uniquely defines a function in particular DLL
  • 26. Export by Ordinal only Export Forwarding
  • 27.  Contains information about all functions imported by executable from DLLs  Loader maps all the DLLs used by the application into its address space  Finds the addresses of all the imported functions and makes them available to the executable being loaded.
  • 28.  20 byte structure IMAGE_IMPORT_DESCRIPTOR  Number of structures = Number of DLLs imported  Last structure filed with zeros
  • 29.  OriginalFirstThunk  Name1  FirstThunk Hint Name1
  • 30.  Each IMAGE_THUNK_DATA str corresponds to one imported function from the dll.  Arrays pointed by OriginalFirstThunk and FirstThunk run parallelly.  OriginalFirstThunk – Import Name Table – Never modified  FirstThunk – Import Address Table – Contain actual function addresses
  • 31. Functions exported by ordinal only - No IMAGE_IMPORT_BY_NAME structure -IMAGE_THUNK_DATA contains the ordinal of the function -MSB used to identify the same - MSB is set, rest 31 bits are treated as an ordinal value. -Bound Imports
  • 33.  Write a program in “C” or “ASM” that will modify the Address of Entry point of an Executable (.exe) file with any random address.  Write a program in “C” or “ASM” that will add a new section into an executable (.exe) ◦ For hints shoot us an email 