For many years malware was solely a threat to Windows users – but that era is over. Cyber criminals have come to view Linux as a viable target for their attacks due to the growing popularity of the open-source OS and the plethora of high-value devices it powers.
2019 and 2020 have been plagued by the emergence of dangerous Linux malware variants – CloudSnooper, EvilGnome and HiddenWasp, among many others – and this trend is expected to be magnified in 2021 and beyond, as Linux malware operators are recognizing great success with their malicious campaigns. Thus, taking proactive measures to secure your Linux systems against malware has never been more important.
Reverse engineering, or the process of deconstructing malware in an artificial environment such as a Linux system to gain insight into its design, architecture and code, is a highly effective method of malware detection and analysis. This article will examine how reverse engineering can be used to secure Linux systems against malware and other exploits, and will introduce our favorite tools, toolkits and utilities for reverse engineering and malware scanning available to Linux users.