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Labs

Modern Malware Analysis

This lab supports the DEFCON30 workshop, The Art of Modern Malware Analysis. It is meant to be be paired with the content provided in the LAB FILES and the in class instruction provided at DEFCON30.

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Lab platform
Lab Info
Rating
(30)
Level
Advanced
Last updated
Aug 05, 2025
Duration
5h 15m

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Table of Contents
  1. Challenge

    Getting Started in the Lab Environment

    Here are the initial instructions and explanation of the lab environment. Read this while your environment is busy creating itself from nothing. Yes, this violates physics; we know. How fun!

  2. Challenge

    Malware as a Service

    This section teaches students how to gather basic sample information and utilize open-source threat intelligence sharing platforms to gain deeper understanding about their sample, such as strings and hashes and sources like Abuse.ch and Triage.

  3. Challenge

    Malware C2 Behavior

    Better understand HTTP C2 IOCs by creating working C2 capabilities yourself.

  4. Challenge

    Cobalt Strike Beacon

    This challenge will include analysis of the world’s #1 C2 infrastructure: Cobalt Strike (CS). You will break down the CS infrastructure, show how Malleable C2 profiles function, and learn how to extract and analyze profile configurations from script- and PE-based payloads alike.

  5. Challenge

    The Last Challenge

    Welcome to the final challenge! This is your last chance to experiment in the environment. Clicking Finish Lab will end this little world that flittered into existence just for you.

About the author

Aaron M. Rosenmund is a cyber security operations subject matter expert, with a background in federal and business defensive and offensive cyber operations and system automation.

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