Malware Analysis: Suspicious

Malware Analysis: Suspicious

In this lab, you will take on the role of a cybersecurity analyst tasked with examining and disinfecting a malicious executable. This is a .exe file modified to perform unauthorized actions before finishing its execution.

Your mission is to analyze the binary's behavior, disable the malicious logic, and restore its legitimate functionality. Only if the "cure" is successful, the program will reveal the validation flag.

🌱 How to start this lab

👉 This challenge is solved inside a preconfigured Windows virtual machine to keep the malware execution isolated.

1. Download the virtual machine from this link:

1https://storage.googleapis.com/cybersecurity-machines/suspicious-malware-lab.ova

1. Import the machine into VirtualBox.

2. Log in as the user student:4geeks-lab. The machine comes preinstalled with tools such as:

   • dnSpyEx (binary decompiler and editor)
   • .NET SDK
   • Notepad, PowerShell, and File Explorer

Your mission

The executable appears to be designed to perform a malicious action before allowing its execution to complete. However, there is an opportunity: if you manage to correctly identify and remove that unauthorized activity, the program will behave legitimately and display a technical result that allows you to validate the challenge. The executable is currently on the desktop, named Suspicious.exe.

This lab is not about searching for a hidden flag. It's about restoring a system that has been tampered with. Only if you precisely remove the malicious logic, the program will reveal the validation message.

Are you ready to think like a real reverse engineering analyst?

Good luck, Analyst!