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So my uni just had some on break into the email server and send out a load of emails with a suspicious looking executable. I'm on Linux so I downloaded the file and ran the Strings command and saw a call to the Kernel and a hand full of other functions, but all the other strings looked like this.

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

I don't know what it could be, possibly XOR encrypted? so just wondering do you guys know what it is and how I could go about decoding this?

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    Upload the executable, if possible. It's almost impossible to conclude how exactly it is encrypted/encoded without reversing the code working with the string - and I don't see here some obvious variants. It doesn't look like xor encrypted string because xor encryption usually creates non-readable bytes in the middle of the string.
    – w s
    Aug 25, 2015 at 5:34
  • It looks like a base64 encoded string, which contains a byte array. Since some parts of this byte array contains repeating character sequences, it should be a simple encryption (if it is encrypted), such as XOR.
    – ebux
    Aug 25, 2015 at 10:27
  • It's not base64. Decoding it with python gives incorrect padding error.
    – w s
    Aug 25, 2015 at 10:36
  • If the executable is malicious I'd guess base64 with scrambled alphabet. Is there any string that looks like an alphabet, non necessarily ordered? Aug 25, 2015 at 15:40

1 Answer 1

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It is almost impossible to provide any meaningful help here.

Either:

  • upload the actual executable,
  • or run it on a virtual machine on your side (log everything using strace),
  • or upload more of those strings to see if there is a pattern.

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