analyzing-linux-elf-malware

1# Analyzing Linux ELF Malware
2 
3## When to Use
4 
5- A Linux server or container has been compromised and suspicious ELF binaries are found
6- Analyzing Linux botnets (Mirai, Gafgyt, XorDDoS), cryptominers, or ransomware
7- Investigating malware targeting cloud infrastructure, Docker containers, or Kubernetes pods
8- Reverse engineering Linux rootkits and kernel modules
9- Analyzing cross-platform malware compiled for Linux x86_64, ARM, or MIPS architectures
10 
11**Do not use** for Windows PE binary analysis; use PEStudio, Ghidra, or IDA for Windows malware.
12 
13## Prerequisites
14 
15- Ghidra or IDA with Linux ELF support for disassembly and decompilation
16- Linux analysis VM (Ubuntu 22.04 recommended) with development tools installed
17- strace, ltrace, and GDB for dynamic analysis and debugging
18- readelf, objdump, and nm from GNU binutils for static inspection
19- Radare2 for quick binary triage and scripted analysis
20- Docker for isolated container-based malware execution
21 
22## Workflow
23 
24### Step 1: Identify ELF Binary Properties
25 
26Examine the ELF header and basic properties:
27 
28```bash
29# File type identification
30file suspect_binary
31 
32# Detailed ELF header analysis
33readelf -h suspect_binary
34 
35# Section headers
36readelf -S suspect_binary
37 
38# Program headers (segments)
39readelf -l suspect_binary
40 
41# Symbol table (if not stripped)
42readelf -s suspect_binary
43nm suspect_binary 2>/dev/null
44 
45# Dynamic linking information
46readelf -d suspect_binary
47ldd suspect_binary 2>/dev/null  # Only on matching architecture!
48…