From Malware Analysis to Bug Bounty: The Power of Multidisciplinary Security Research + Video

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Introduction:

The cybersecurity industry has long been fragmented into silos—web application security, malware analysis, reverse engineering, and threat intelligence are often treated as distinct career paths. However, as threats evolve and attackers become more sophisticated, the boundaries between these disciplines are blurring. This article explores how combining deep technical knowledge from multiple domains—from Windows internals and malware reversing to web penetration testing—creates a powerful, holistic security mindset that uncovers vulnerabilities others miss.

Learning Objectives:

  • Understand how malware analysis and reverse engineering skills directly enhance web application security testing.
  • Learn practical techniques for using Shodan dorks and OSINT for reconnaissance against malicious infrastructure.
  • Master the process of identifying and exploiting insecure direct object references (IDOR) in the context of phishing and scam operations.
  • Gain foundational knowledge in Windows internals, driver analysis, and kernel-level vulnerabilities.
  • Develop a multidisciplinary approach to threat research and vulnerability discovery.

You Should Know:

1. Reconnaissance with Shodan Dorks and OSINT

In Mahmoud NourEldin’s journey, transitioning from malware analysis back to bug bounty brought a new perspective: the ability to think like both an attacker and a malware operator. When investigating a scam website impersonating a legitimate company, he employed publicly available reconnaissance techniques, including Shodan dorks, to map the attacker’s infrastructure.

Shodan is a search engine for internet-connected devices. Unlike Google, which indexes web content, Shodan indexes banners from services running on devices—revealing everything from open SSH ports to web servers and industrial control systems. “Dorks” refer to specific search queries that filter results to find vulnerable or misconfigured systems.

Step‑by‑step guide for Shodan reconnaissance:

  1. Identify the target domain or IP: Start with the phishing or scam URL. Extract the IP address using `nslookup` or dig:

– Linux: `dig +short example.com`
– Windows: `nslookup example.com`
2. Search Shodan for the IP: Use the Shodan website or CLI to query the IP. Common dorks include:
– `host:192.168.1.1` – Find services on a specific IP.
– `net:192.168.1.0/24` – Search an entire subnet.
– `org:”Amazon”` – Find all devices hosted by a specific provider.
– `http.title:”Login”` – Find devices with “Login” in their HTTP title.
3. Analyze open ports and services: Identify what services are running (e.g., SSH, FTP, HTTP, RDP). Look for outdated versions or default credentials.
4. Correlate with other OSINT: Use tools like `theHarvester` to gather emails and subdomains, and `amass` for passive subdomain enumeration.
5. Map the attack surface: Combine Shodan data with certificate transparency logs (e.g., crt.sh) to find all subdomains and associated IPs owned by the attacker.

Linux command example:

 Install Shodan CLI
pip install shodan
 Initialize with your API key
shodan init YOUR_API_KEY
 Search for a specific IP
shodan host 8.8.8.8
 Search for a specific service
shodan search http.title:"Scam"
  1. Web Application Analysis with Burp Suite and IDOR Exploitation

NourEldin’s approach to web security was transformed by his malware analysis background. Instead of viewing applications solely from an external attacker’s perspective, he analyzed them with the mindset of someone who understands how malware operates and how attackers build their tools. This led him to identify an insecure direct object reference (IDOR) vulnerability that exposed all victim data collected by a phishing operation.

An IDOR occurs when an application provides direct access to objects (like database records or files) based on user-supplied input without proper authorization checks. For example, if a URL contains ?user_id=123, an attacker can change the ID to access another user’s data.

Step‑by‑step guide for IDOR discovery with Burp Suite:

  1. Configure Burp Suite as a proxy: Set your browser to use Burp’s proxy (default 127.0.0.1:8080).
  2. Intercept traffic: Navigate through the target application while Burp intercepts requests.
  3. Identify object references: Look for parameters in URLs, POST bodies, or headers that appear to reference objects (e.g., id=, file=, doc=, user=, order=).
  4. Modify the reference: Change the value of the parameter. For sequential IDs (e.g., id=1001), try `id=1000` or id=1002. For GUIDs, look for patterns or try enumeration.
  5. Observe the response: If the server returns data for the modified ID without re-authenticating or checking permissions, you’ve found an IDOR.
  6. Automate enumeration: Use Burp Intruder to brute-force IDs. Set the position on the ID parameter, load a payload list (e.g., numbers 1-10000), and launch the attack.
  7. Analyze results: Filter responses by length or status code to find valid IDs that return data.

Linux command for fuzzing IDs with `ffuf`:

ffuf -u https://example.com/api/user?id=FUZZ -w ids.txt -fc 404

Windows PowerShell equivalent:

 Using Invoke-WebRequest in a loop
1..1000 | ForEach-Object { Invoke-WebRequest -Uri "https://example.com/api/user?id=$_" }

3. Malware Analysis Fundamentals: Emotet Case Study

NourEldin’s deep dive into Emotet malware analysis involved a comprehensive approach covering email phishing analysis, packet analysis with Wireshark, static document analysis with OfficeMalScanner (now oletools), and dynamic analysis using Sysinternals tools. Emotet is a notorious banking trojan that primarily spreads through malicious email attachments, often in the form of Word or Excel documents with macros.

Step‑by‑step guide for analyzing malicious documents:

1. Static Analysis with oletools:

  • Use `oleid` to check for suspicious indicators in the OLE file structure.
  • Use `olevba` to extract and analyze VBA macros from Office documents.
  • Command: `olevba malicious.doc > macro_analysis.txt`

2. Dynamic Analysis with Sysinternals:

  • Run the document in a sandboxed environment (e.g., a Windows VM with no network access).
  • Use Process Monitor (procmon) to monitor registry changes, file system activity, and network connections.
  • Use Process Explorer to inspect running processes and their handles.
  • Use API Monitor to trace API calls made by the malicious process.

3. Packet Analysis with Wireshark:

  • Capture network traffic while the document executes.
  • Look for outbound connections to C2 servers, DNS queries, and data exfiltration attempts.
  • Filter for HTTP requests: `http.request` or `tcp.port == 80`

4. YARA Rule Creation:

  • Based on extracted strings, opcodes, or file metadata, create a YARA rule to detect the malware.
  • Example rule: 
    rule Emotet_Example {
meta:
description = "Detects Emotet based on string patterns"
strings:
$s1 = "Emotet" wide
$s2 = "HttpSendRequestA" ascii
condition:
$s1 or $s2
}

4. Windows Internals and Kernel Driver Analysis

NourEldin’s exploration of Windows Internals, focusing on the kernel, driver analysis, and request tracing from high-level APIs down to the kernel, represents one of the most technically demanding areas in cybersecurity. His discovery of a vulnerable `RTCore64.sys` driver, which is known to be exploitable for Bring Your Own Vulnerable Driver (BYOVD) attacks, highlights the importance of kernel-level awareness.

A BYOVD attack occurs when an attacker leverages a legitimate but vulnerable kernel driver to gain elevated privileges or bypass security controls. The `RTCore64.sys` driver, associated with MSI Afterburner, has been widely abused because it allows arbitrary read/write access to kernel memory.

Step‑by‑step guide for driver analysis:

  1. Identify running drivers: Use the `driverquery` command on Windows to list all installed drivers.

– Command: `driverquery /v > drivers.txt`
2. Extract the driver file: Locate the `.sys` file in `C:\Windows\System32\drivers\` or the program’s installation directory.
3. Perform static analysis with IDA Pro or Ghidra:
– Load the driver into a disassembler.
– Look for functions like `DeviceIoControl` that handle I/O control codes (IOCTLs).
– Identify IOCTL codes and their associated input/output buffer structures.

4. Check for vulnerabilities:

  • Does the driver validate user-mode addresses? (ProbeForRead/ProbeForWrite)
  • Does it properly check buffer sizes?
  • Are there any arbitrary memory read/write primitives?

5. Dynamic analysis with WinDbg:

  • Set up a kernel debugging environment (host-guest or over network).
  • Break on driver entry points and monitor IOCTL calls.
  • Use commands like `!drvobj` and `lm` to inspect loaded drivers.

Linux command for checking kernel modules (for comparison):

lsmod | grep -i vulnerable_module
  1. Exploit Development: Buffer Overflows, DEP/ASLR Bypass, and ROP Chains

NourEldin also spent significant time on exploit development, learning the OSED (Offensive Security Exploitation Developer) content, including buffer overflows, bypassing DEP/ASLR with ROP chains, format string vulnerabilities, and heap vulnerabilities. This knowledge directly complements his web and malware skills, as many advanced attacks—from browser exploits to kernel privilege escalation—rely on these low-level techniques.

Step‑by‑step guide for basic buffer overflow exploitation:

  1. Fuzz the target: Send increasingly large inputs to a vulnerable program to trigger a crash.
  2. Find the offset: Use a pattern string (e.g., Metasploit’s pattern_create.rb) to determine the exact offset where the instruction pointer (EIP/RIP) is overwritten.
  3. Control EIP: At the correct offset, overwrite EIP with a chosen address.
  4. Bypass DEP: Use a Return-Oriented Programming (ROP) chain to execute shellcode from writable memory (e.g., the heap or stack) by chaining together small instruction sequences (gadgets) that end in ret.
  5. Bypass ASLR: If ASLR is enabled, you need to leak a memory address to calculate the base address of modules. This can be achieved through information disclosure vulnerabilities.
  6. Execute shellcode: Redirect execution to your ROP chain, which then calls `VirtualProtect` to make the stack executable, or directly executes your payload.

Example ROP chain snippet (conceptual):

 Gadget: pop eax; ret
 Gadget: mov [bash], edx; ret
 Use these to write shellcode into a known writable location

6. Threat Hunting and Responsible Disclosure

NourEldin’s discovery of a scam website and his responsible reporting to the impersonated company demonstrates the real-world impact of multidisciplinary security research. By combining OSINT, web application testing, and a deep understanding of attacker infrastructure, he was able to expose a phishing operation’s collected victim data. However, the company’s lack of response underscores a common challenge in the industry: not all organizations are prepared to act on security reports.

Step‑by‑step guide for responsible disclosure:

  1. Gather evidence: Document the vulnerability with screenshots, Burp logs, and steps to reproduce.
  2. Identify the correct contact: Find a security contact via the company’s website, bug bounty program, or `security@` email.
  3. Send a clear report: Include a subject line like “Vulnerability Report: IDOR on [bash]” and provide a detailed description, impact, and remediation suggestions.
  4. Follow up: If no response within a reasonable time (e.g., 7-14 days), consider reaching out via alternative channels or, if applicable, escalate through the bug bounty platform.
  5. Public disclosure (if necessary): After giving the company ample time (typically 30-90 days), you may choose to publish a blog post or advisory to warn users, but always weigh the risks of doing so.

What Undercode Say:

  • Key Takeaway 1: Security disciplines should not exist in isolation. Malware analysis, reverse engineering, Windows internals, threat research, and offensive security complement each other, providing different perspectives that make security researchers more effective.
  • Key Takeaway 2: Returning to a familiar domain with new skills can reveal entirely different classes of vulnerabilities. NourEldin’s transition from malware analysis back to web security allowed him to identify an IDOR that exposed phishing victims’ data—a finding that might have been missed by a purely web-focused researcher.

Analysis:

NourEldin’s journey highlights a critical evolution in cybersecurity. The days of specialized silos are fading as attackers themselves operate across multiple domains. A web application pentester who understands Windows internals can better assess the impact of a server-side vulnerability that leads to kernel compromise. A malware analyst who knows web application security can more effectively trace C2 traffic back to its source and potentially compromise the attacker’s infrastructure. This multidisciplinary mindset is not just a competitive advantage; it is becoming a necessity. The ability to follow an attack from the initial phishing email, through malware execution, to command-and-control traffic, and ultimately to the web application vulnerabilities that enable data theft, represents the future of threat hunting and incident response. NourEldin’s story is a testament to the value of continuous learning and the power of combining diverse technical skills.

Prediction:

  • +1 The demand for multidisciplinary security researchers will increase significantly over the next five years as organizations realize that isolated skill sets are insufficient to combat modern, complex threats.
  • +1 Cybersecurity training and certification programs will evolve to include cross-domain modules, encouraging professionals to branch out beyond their primary specialization.
  • -1 However, the industry may face a shortage of such multidisciplinary talent, as the depth of knowledge required in each domain can be overwhelming, potentially leaving many organizations underprotected.
  • -1 The lack of response from companies to responsible disclosures, as experienced by NourEldin, may discourage researchers from reporting vulnerabilities, leading to more unpatched security issues in the wild.

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