To conduct static analysis on a piece of malware, what is a possible action?

Conducting static analysis on malware refers to the examination of the malware without executing it. One effective method for achieving this is by using a tool to extract readable strings from the binary, which can reveal important information about the malware's behavior, potential network communications, embedded URLs, and other textual data.

Running strings on the malware file is a classic technique used in static analysis. It helps security analysts quickly identify significant text elements that could provide insights into what the malware is designed to do. The strings command outputs printable character sequences, allowing analysts to quickly scan for suspicious indicators, such as error messages, file paths, or command and control (C&C) server addresses.

In contrast, conducting a full system scan is typically a procedure for identifying threats after they've already affected a system, rather than examining a file in a controlled, static manner. Submitting malware to a virus database would not involve direct analysis of the file itself but rather sharing the file for community awareness and detection development, and it does not provide immediate insights into the specific malware's functionality. Reinstalling the operating system is a drastic action generally taken after an infection has already occurred, rather than an analysis technique.

By running strings on the malware, analysts can gain valuable intelligence about the malware