What's Your Malware Analysis Process? Quiz
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Here is a quick and interesting 'What's your malware analysis process' quiz designed to assess your malware analysis skills and help you learn something new. Do you know everything about malware analysis? There is a chance that your malware and reverse-engineering skills might need a tune-up. Take this quiz and see how well you can score on this test. Don't worry; this quiz consists of easy questions that'll keep you engaged and help you revise your skills. So, get ready to test your brain skills. All the best!
Malware Analysis Process Questions and Answers
- 1.
In the context of malware analysis, what does the term "patching" refer to?
- A.
Installing software updates that address vulnerabilities in installed software.
- B.
Setting memory breakpoints by modifying access flags on memory segments.
- C.
Stepping through the executable without running every instruction within function calls.
- D.
Modifying a compiled executable to change its functionality without having to recompile it.
Correct Answer
D. Modifying a compiled executable to change its functionality without having to recompile it.Explanation
Malware analysts frequently patch the malicious program to modify how it executes, even though they typically don't have access to the program's original source code. For instance, the analyst might locate a defensive measure built into the specimen to confuse the analyst, and use patching to render that measure ineffective.Rate this question:
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- 2.
Which of the following assembly instructions is least likely to be used by malicious code to perform a jump?
- A.
JMP
- B.
XOR
- C.
RET
- D.
CALL
Correct Answer
B. XORExplanation
Malicious code typically uses assembly instructions like JMP, RET, and CALL to perform jumps and alter the flow of execution. However, XOR is least likely to be used for this purpose. XOR is primarily used for bitwise operations and data manipulation, rather than controlling program flow. It is less commonly used for branching or jumping within a program, making it an unlikely choice for malicious code seeking to perform a jump.Rate this question:
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- 3.
Which of the following defensive measures do malware authors use to encode the original executable to protect it against static code analysis?
- A.
Employing fast-flux DNS techniques
- B.
Embedding an imports table in the malicious executable
- C.
Targeting client-side vulnerabilities
- D.
Packing the malicious executable
Correct Answer
D. Packing the malicious executableExplanation
By using a "packing" utility, malware authors encode, encrypt or obfuscate the original executable, making it more difficult to analyze using static code analysis techniques. In such cases, the reverse-engineer typically has to unpack the program using a variety of approaches that might be challenging and time-consuming.Rate this question:
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- 4.
Which of the following terms refers to a field in the PE header that specifies the address of the instruction that the OS should execute first after loading the executable?
- A.
Starting Point
- B.
Point of Origin
- C.
Entry Point
- D.
Thread Origination Point
Correct Answer
C. Entry PointExplanation
The PE ("Portable Executable") header of a Windows executable stores critical information about the program that allows the Windows operating system to properly run the executable. One of the fields stores in the header is the Entry Point. This field stores the address of the instruction within the program that the operating system needs to execute first to begin running the program.Rate this question:
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- 5.
Which of the following system calls is most likely to be used by a keylogger?
- A.
GetProcAddress
- B.
VirtualAllocEx
- C.
POP
- D.
GetAsyncKeyState
Correct Answer
D. GetAsyncKeyStateExplanation
GetAsyncKeyState determines whether the specified key is pressed at the moment when this system call is made. One of the ways a keylogger can spy on the user's keyboard activities is to repeatedly iterate through all likely key values, checking whether each key is pressed.Rate this question:
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- 6.
Which of the following Windows registry keys is most useful for malware that aims at maintaining persistent presence on the infected system?
- A.
HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
- B.
HKLM\SECURITY
- C.
%UserProfile%\ntuser.dat
- D.
HKCU\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\MediaProperties
Correct Answer
A. HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunExplanation
A malicious program usually wants to ensure that it continues to run on the system even after a reboot. There are numerous ways of accomplishing this, including adding an entry to the HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run registry key that points to the specimen's file.Rate this question:
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- 7.
What are the two most common phases of malware analysis?
- A.
Behavioral and code analysis
- B.
Identification and containment analysis
- C.
Registry and file system analysis
- D.
User and kernel mode analysis
Correct Answer
A. Behavioral and code analysisExplanation
Behavioral analysis examines the malware specimen's interactions with its environment: the file system, the registry (if on Windows), the network, as well as other processes and OS components. As the malware investigator notices interesting behavioral characteristics, he or she modifies the laboratory environment to evoke new characteristics. Code analysis reverse-engineers the malicious program to understand the code that implements the specimen's behavior. When looking at compiled programs, this process involves using a disassembler, a debugger and, perhaps, a decompiler to examine the program's low-level assembly or byte-code instructions.Rate this question:
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- 8.
Which of the following tools best supports the concept of breakpoints?
- A.
Debugger
- B.
Disassembler
- C.
Sniffer
- D.
Logger
Correct Answer
A. DebuggerExplanation
A debugger lets the malware analyst step through the most interesting parts of the code, interacting with it and observing the effects of its instructions to understand its purpose. A breakpoint is a condition defined by the analyst that tells the debugger when it should pause the execution of the program, allowing the analyst to interact with the program with the help of the debugger's capabilities.Rate this question:
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- 9.
Which x86 register is most commonly used for storing a function's return value in an assembler?
- A.
ECX
- B.
EIP
- C.
EAX
- D.
EFLAGS
Correct Answer
C. EAXExplanation
The x86 instruction set supports several general-purpose registers. EAX is one of them. Although general-purpose registers could be used by the program for any purpose, EAX is often used as the placeholder for storing the return value of a function.Rate this question:
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- 10.
Which mechanism is malware least likely to use when defending itself against analysis?
- A.
Inserting junk code instructions
- B.
Employing polarization techniques
- C.
Making use of "tricky" jump instructions
- D.
Detecting the presence of a debugger
Correct Answer
D. Detecting the presence of a debuggerExplanation
Based on the options provided, the correct answer is D. Detecting the presence of a debugger. Malware is least likely to use this mechanism when defending itself against analysis. Detecting the presence of a debugger is a common defensive technique used by malware to evade detection and analysis. However, the other options listed (A. Inserting junk code instructions, B. Employing polarization techniques, and C. Making use of "tricky" jump instructions) are more commonly employed by malware to obfuscate its code and make analysis more difficult.Rate this question:
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Quiz Review Timeline +
Our quizzes are rigorously reviewed, monitored and continuously updated by our expert board to maintain accuracy, relevance, and timeliness.
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Current Version
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Mar 26, 2024Quiz Edited by
ProProfs Editorial Team
Expert Reviewed by
Godwin Iheuwa -
Jul 21, 2012Quiz Created by
Lenny Zeltser
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