Lab - Extract an Executable from a PCAP

Objectives
Part 1: Analyze Pre-Captured Logs and Traffic Captures
Part 2: Extract Downloaded Files from PCAP

Background / Scenario
Looking at logs is very important, but it is also important to understand how network transactions happen at
the packet level.
In this lab, you will analyze the traffic in a previously captured pcap file and extract an executable from the file.

Required Resources
 CyberOps Workstation virtual machine

Instructions

Part 1: Analyze Pre-Captured Logs and Traffic Captures

In Part 2, you will work with the nimda.download.pcap file. Captured in a previous lab,
nimda.download.pcap contains the packets related to the download of the Nimda malware. Your version of
the file, if you created it in the previous lab and did not reimport your CyberOps Workstation VM, is stored in
the /home/analyst directory. However, a copy of that file is also stored in the CyberOps Workstation VM,
under the /home/analyst/lab.support.files/pcaps directory so that you can complete this lab. For
consistency of output, the lab will use the stored version in the pcaps directory.
While tcpdump can be used to analyze captured files, Wireshark’s graphical interface makes the task much
easier. It is also important to note that tcpdump and Wireshark share the same file format for packet
captures; therefore, PCAP files created by one tool can be opened by the other.
a. Change directory to the lab.support.files/pcaps folder, and get a listing of files using the ls –l command.
[analyst@secOps ~]$ cd lab.support.files/pcaps
[analyst@secOps pcaps]$ ls -l
total 7460
-rw-r--r-- 1 analyst analyst 3510551 Aug 7 15:25 lab_prep.pcap
-rw-r--r-- 1 analyst analyst 371462 Jun 22 10:47 nimda.download.pcap
-rw-r--r-- 1 analyst analyst 3750153 May 25 11:10 wannacry_download_pcap.pcap
[analyst@secOps pcaps]$
b. Issue the command below to open the nimda.download.pcap file in Wireshark.
[analyst@secOps pcaps]$ wireshark nimda.download.pcap &

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Lab - Extract an Executable from a PCAP

c. The nimda.download.pcap file contains the packet capture related to the malware download performed
in a previous lab. The pcap contains all the packets sent and received while tcpdump was running.
Select the fourth packet in the capture and expand the Hypertext Transfer Protocol to display as shown
below.

d. Packets one through three are the TCP handshake. The fourth packet shows the request for the malware
file. Confirming what was already known, the request was done over HTTP, sent as a GET request.

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Lab - Extract an Executable from a PCAP

e. Because HTTP runs over TCP, it is possible to use Wireshark’s Follow TCP Stream feature to rebuild
the TCP transaction. Select the first TCP packet in the capture, a SYN packet. Right-click it and choose
Follow > TCP Stream.

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Lab - Extract an Executable from a PCAP

f. Wireshark displays another window containing the details for the entire selected TCP flow.

Questions:

What are all those symbols shown in the Follow TCP Stream window? Are they connection noise? Data?
Explain.
ANSWER: The symbols are the actual contents of the file that was downloaded. Its just shown in
binary format since it was a binary file, and Wireshark does not know how to represent it. The
symbols shown are Wiresharks best attempt at making sense of the binary data while decoding it
as text.

There are a few readable words spread among the symbols. Why are they there?
ANSWER: Those are just strings contained in the executable code. They are usually part of
messages provided by the program to the user while it runs. A skilled analyst can extract valuable
information by reading through these fragments but its very difficult and takes great skill.

Challenge Question: Despite the W32.Nimda.Amm.exe name, this executable is not the famous worm.
For security reasons, this is another executable file that was renamed as W32.Nimda.Amm.exe. Using
the word fragments displayed by Wireshark’s Follow TCP Stream window, can you tell what executable
this really is?
ANSWER: If you scroll all the way down on that window it reveals that this is the Microsoft
Windows cmd.ede.file

g. Click Close in the Follow TCP Stream window to return to the Wireshark nimda.download.pcap file.

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Lab - Extract an Executable from a PCAP

Part 2: Extract Downloaded Files from PCAP

Because capture files contain all packets related to traffic, a PCAP of a download can be used to retrieve a
previously downloaded file. Follow the steps below to use Wireshark to retrieve the Nimda malware.
a. In that fourth packet in the nimda.download.pcap file, notice that the HTTP GET request was generated
from 209.165.200.235 to 209.165.202.133. The Info column also shows this is in fact the GET request for
the file.
b. With the GET request packet selected, navigate to File > Export Objects > HTTP, from Wireshark’s
menu.

c. Wireshark will display all HTTP objects present in the TCP flow that contains the GET request. In this
case, only the W32.Nimda.Amm.exe file is present in the capture. It will take a few seconds before the
file is displayed.

Question:

Why is W32.Nimda.Amm.exe the only file in the capture?

ANSWER: Because the capture was started right before the download and then it was stopped
right after. Thus meaning no other traffic was caught while the capture was active.

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Lab - Extract an Executable from a PCAP

d. In the HTTP object list window, select the W32.Nimda.Amm.exe file and click Save As at the bottom of
the screen.
e. Click the left arrow until you see the Home button. Click Home and then click the analyst folder (not the
analyst tab). Save the file there.
f. Return to your terminal window and ensure the file was saved. Change directory to the /home/analyst
folder and list the files in the folder using the ls -l command.
[analyst@secOps pcaps]$ cd /home/analyst
[analyst@secOps ~]$ ls –l
total 364
drwxr-xr-x 2 analyst analyst 4096 Sep 26 2014 Desktop
drwx------ 3 analyst analyst 4096 May 25 11:16 Downloads
drwxr-xr-x 2 analyst analyst 4096 May 22 08:39 extra
drwxr-xr-x 8 analyst analyst 4096 Jun 22 11:38 lab.support.files
drwxr-xr-x 2 analyst analyst 4096 Mar 3 15:56 second_drive
-rw-r--r-- 1 analyst analyst 345088 Jun 22 15:12 W32.Nimda.Amm.exe
[analyst@secOps ~]$
Question:

Was the file saved?

ANSWER: Yes it was saved properly

g. The file command gives information on the file type. Use the file command to learn a little more about the
malware, as show below:
[analyst@secOps ~]$ file W32.Nimda.Amm.exe
W32.Nimda.Amm.exe: PE32+ executable (console) x86-64, for MS Windows
[analyst@secOps ~]$

As seen above, W32.Nimda.Amm.exe is indeed a Windows executable file.

Question:

In the malware analysis process, what would be a probable next step for a security analyst?
ANSWER: The goal is to identify the type of malware and analyze its behavior. Therefore, the
malware file should be moved to a controlled environment and execute it to watch its behavior.

End of document

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