Analyzing Network Traffic of Malware
When to Use
- Sandbox execution has captured a PCAP file and the network behavior needs detailed analysis
- Identifying the C2 protocol structure for writing network detection signatures
- Determining what data the malware exfiltrates and to which external infrastructure
- Analyzing DNS tunneling, domain generation algorithms (DGA), or fast-flux behavior
- Creating Suricata/Snort signatures based on observed malware network patterns
Do not use for host-based analysis of malware behavior; use Cuckoo sandbox reports or Volatility memory analysis for process-level activity.
Prerequisites
- Wireshark 4.x installed for interactive PCAP analysis
- tshark (Wireshark CLI) for scripted packet extraction
- Zeek installed for automated metadata generation from PCAPs
- Suricata with ET Open/ET Pro rulesets for signature matching
- NetworkMiner for file extraction and credential detection from PCAPs
- Python 3.8+ with
scapyanddpktfor programmatic packet analysis
Workflow
Step 1: Initial PCAP Overview
Get a high-level understanding of the network traffic:
# Capture statistics
capinfos malware.pcap
# Protocol hierarc…
