Communications of the ACM
Malware Writers Making Code Tougher to Decode, Harder to Find
Reverse-engineering experts say that malware writers are doing a better job of hiding their code and making it difficult to crack. SRA International's Adam Meyers says malware writers increasingly are scrambling whole blocks of their code and are using better obfuscation techniques to make it difficult to analyze and detect their code. The techniques involve the use of better encryption or customized functions that make it difficult to reverse engineer the malicious code. For instance, Meyers notes that some mobile malware uses the older DES encryption standard to scramble its data.
Meanwhile, attackers also are using a variety of methods to break into systems, experts say. For example, attackers that use social-engineering methods will utilize obfuscated Web addresses and code, while drive-by downloads will use encryption for the malware that is downloaded onto victims' computers when they visit certain sites.
In addition, malware writers are using more direct methods for attacking servers to scramble the code and avoid being discovered by intrusion-detection systems, says Stonesoft's Matt McKinley.
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