Analyze Binaries in Ghidra to Write Shell Payload for Windows Systems

Learn how to write shell code for Windows systems in C by reverse engineering binaries with Ghidra. Hone in your skills to evade antivirus detection.

In this article, we’ll go over some example C code that is Windows x86 compatible and analyze binaries using Ghidra to help you write or improve upon your shell code creation skills by crafting the payload first. The practical applications of malware analysis and reverse engineering efforts can help penetration testers improve their evasion techniques and achieve command execution on systems without Linux (or ported) tools against Windows systems. We’ll examine samples using native windows libraries, compilers, C based shell payload, and Metasploit (MSFvenom) payload for Windows. Are you ready? Let’s dive right in!

Disclaimer: The methods, code examples, and techniques mentioned throughout this article for educational purposes only. All code or compiled binaries are provided ‘as is’ with no expressed warranty.

Feel free to download and install these tools and follow along in the article to practice your win32-ninja payload coding skills with us.

Tools in Use:

• Payload binaries and source examined: systemcall_shellcode.c and reverse_winsocktcp_shellcode.c
• Visual Studio 2019 Community with the C++ Desktop Extensions and…