📄 Static Malware Analysis
Learn how analysts investigate suspicious files without executing them.
📦 Evidence Submission
File Name:
Invoice_2026.pdf.exe
Reported By:
Finance Department
Risk Level:
Unknown
Analysts begin investigation without opening the file.
📖 What Is Static Analysis?
Static analysis is the examination of a file without executing it.
Inspect
Without Running
This approach reduces risk while still revealing valuable information.
🔍 Investigation Workflow
⬇️ 🏷 Metadata Review
⬇️ 🔑 Hash Generation
⬇️ 📄 String Analysis
⬇️ 📊 Threat Assessment
📋 Step 1: Metadata Analysis
Analysts inspect:
- File Name
- File Size
- Creation Date
- Modification Date
- Digital Signatures
Metadata often provides the first clues.
🔑 Step 2: Hash Analysis
Hashes act like fingerprints for files.
Common examples:
- MD5
- SHA-1
- SHA-256
Analysts compare hashes against known threat intelligence databases.
📝 Step 3: String Analysis
Many files contain readable text.
Analysts look for:
- URLs
- Domain Names
- File Paths
- Error Messages
- Suspicious References
Even a few strings can reveal important context.
🗂 Step 4: File Type Verification
Attackers often disguise files.
Example:
invoice.pdf.exe
What appears to be a document may actually be an executable file.
🧠 Questions Analysts Ask
- Does the file appear suspicious?
- Has it been seen before?
- Who created it?
- What does it reference?
- What should be investigated next?
🛠 Static Analysis Toolkit
- VirusTotal
- PE Studio
- Detect It Easy (DIE)
- Hashing Tools
- Strings Utilities
- File Identification Tools
These tools help analysts gather intelligence without executing files.
✅ Benefits Of Static Analysis
- Lower Risk
- Fast Results
- Early Threat Indicators
- Useful For Triage
- Supports Further Analysis
Static analysis is often the first step in an investigation.
⚠ Limitations
Static analysis cannot always reveal:
- Runtime Behavior
- Network Activity
- Persistence Actions
- Memory Activity
To understand behavior, analysts may need dynamic analysis.
🏆 Investigation Outcome
The file appeared suspicious based on:
- File Naming Patterns
- Metadata Findings
- Embedded References
Observe First
Execute Later
⚡ Dynamic Malware Analysis
Step inside a controlled analysis environment and observe how suspicious software behaves when executed safely.
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