What is a malware evasion technique?

Malware evasion techniques alter the characteristics of malicious software to avoid detection by cyber security solutions that rely on patterns or predefined signatures. Malware evasion techniques are used by malicious actors to bypass detection systems and traditional antivirus software.  

Malware evasion techniques are not only used to counter network-based intrusion detection systems (IDS) and intrusion prevention systems (IPS) but can also be used to defeat malware analysis and bypass firewalls. Another target of evasions can be to force a crash of a network’s security defence which ensures that it is in-effective to any subsequent targeted attack. 

Discover effective malware evasion techniques so you can stay informed about the latest cybersecurity threats. Read on to learn how to protect your devices. 

Common malware evasion techniques you should know 

There are a whole host of malware evasion techniques out there that you should know to protect not only your devices but your entire business. Cybercriminals are adopting more and more sophisticated methods to gain access to company devices and infiltrate the business network. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the most common malware evasion techniques you should be aware of today: 

Virtualisation/Sandbox Evasion 

Sandboxing is a tried and tested way to detect malware and prevent its execution. However, cybercriminals look for ways to teach their malware to stay inactive in the sandbox. Virtualisation/Sandbox Evasion is a technique used by adversaries as a part of their defence evasion strategy to avoid and detect virtualisation and analysis environments, like malware analysis sandboxes. Malware uses malware sandbox evasion techniques to disguise its malicious behaviour inside a sandbox and prevent detection. 

Environmental awareness   

The term “environmental awareness” is used to describe the set of high-level techniques used by cybercriminals to detect virtual machines, sandboxing environments, or the presence of forensic tools. Malware evasion techniques are evolving at a rapid rate. It’s therefore important to ensure that you avoid generic profiles for your sandbox and always use different ones.  

User interaction  

User interaction techniques exploit the fact that automated analysis systems are not manually interacted with by humans. This is one of the more common routes malware developers utilise to get around the sandboxing environment. Sandboxes aren’t traditionally built to simulate user behaviour, and malware is programmed to be able to spot the differences between actual and automated systems.  

Timing-based  

The timing-based technique is very effective at bypassing sandbox analysis due to the fact that malware is analysed only during a limited period. The timing-based method includes several evasion methods, such as: 

• Logic bomb: The malware can schedule its execution at a particular date and time.
  
• Extended sleep: The malware calls for extended sleep, such as 10 minutes. By doing this, it can stop its execution and escape the sandbox analysis before the infection can take hold.
  
• Stalling code: The malware takes advantage of CPU cycles via malicious payloads to stall the process and terminates just before the final infection. 

Code encryption  

Code, file, or malware encryption involves encoding components or malicious code to hide its true intention and to evade detection by cybersecurity software. This technique is aimed at preventing easy analysis by converting the malware’s content into an encrypted format which can only be deciphered using a specific decryption key. 

BITS jobs 

BITS jobs are advanced evasion techniques used by malware authors. BITS jobs use a queue to manage file transfers. A BITS session starts from an application by creating a job. A job is a container, which has one or several files to transfer. A newly created job is empty. Files must be added to the job, specifying both the source and destination URIs. 

The importance of anti-malware software 

Anti-malware software is one of the most important parts of protecting a business today due to the sheer number and varying types of malware used by malicious actors. Anti-malware prevents malware attacks by scanning incoming data to prevent malware from being installed and infecting a computer. Anti-malware programs or software can detect advanced forms of malware and offer protection against different types of attacks, such as ransomware. 

Reach out to RiskXchange to benefit from our vast experience in dealing with malware 

Malware detection calls for the use of sophisticated tools and techniques to identify, alert, block and respond to malware threats. RiskXchange is familiar with all-known malware detection methods which can be used to identify and restrict known threats. RiskXchange also uses advanced malware detection tools which utilise machine learning and artificial intelligence to seek out and identify new and unknown threats. 

RiskXchange is one of the leading cybersecurity firms globally. Our comprehensive threat detection software protects organisations of all sizes against both known and unknown malware attacks. With full visibility over your eco-systems entire attack surface in real-time, you can regularly monitor and mitigate risks to prevent unnecessary exposures. Our passive data collection methods are effective and have no impact on your network performance.   

FAQs 

Get in touch with RiskXchange to find out more about malware evasion techniques and how best to secure your business.