Awesome Executable Packing

See https://github.com/dhondta/awesome-executable-packing

A curated list of resources related to executable packing (including Portable Executable, Executable and Linkable Format and others). Contains books, papers, blog posts, and other written resources but also packers and tools for detecting and unpacking executables.

Bibliography

Absent extreme learning machine algorithm with application to packed executable identification (January 2016)
An Accurate Packer Identification Method Using Support Vector Machine (January 2014)
Adaptive Unpacking of Android Apps (May 2017)
All-in-One Framework for Detection, Unpacking, and Verification for Malware Analysis (January 2019)
Analysis of machine learning approaches to packing detection (May 2021)
Android Packers: Separating from the Pack (June 2014)
API Deobfuscator: Resolving Obfuscated API Functions in Modern Packers (July 2015)
Application of string kernel based support vector machine for malware packer identification (August 2013)
AppSpear: Bytecode Decrypting and DEX Reassembling for Packed Android Malware (November 2015)
The Art of Unpacking (September 2015)
Automatic Static Unpacking of Malware Binaries (October 2009)
BareUnpack: Generic Unpacking on the Bare-Metal Operating System (December 2018)
Binary-Code Obfuscations in Prevalent Packer Tools (October 2013)
BinStat Tool for Recognition of Packed Executables (September 2010)
BitBlaze: A New Approach to Computer Security via Binary Analysis (December 2008)
Boosting Scalability in Anomaly-Based Packed Executable Filtering (November 2011)
Building a smart and automated tool for packed malware detections using machine learning (June 2020)
ByteWise: A case study in neural network obfuscation identification (January 2018)
Challenging anti-virus through evolutionary malware obfuscation (April 2016)
Classification of packed executables for accurate computer virus detection (October 2008)
Classifying Packed Programs as Malicious Software Detected (December 2016)
Cloak and Dagger: Unpacking Hidden Malware Attacks (December 2016)
Collective Classification for Packed Executable Identification (June 2012)
A Comparative Analysis of Classifiers in the Recognition of Packed Executables (November 2019)
A Comparative Assessment of Malware Classification Using Binary Texture Analysis and Dynamic Analysis (September 2011)
Comparing Malware Samples for Unpacking: A Feasibility Study (August 2016)
A Consistently-Executing Graph-Based Approach for Malware Packer Identification (April 2019)
A control flow graph-based signature for packer identification (October 2017)
Countering entropy measure attacks on packed software detection (January 2012)
Denial-of-Service Attacks on Host-Based Generic Unpackers (December 2009)
Deobfuscation of Packed and Virtualization-Obfuscation Protected Binaries (June 2011)
Design and development of a new scanning core engine for malware detection (October 2012)
Design and Performance Evaluation of Binary Code Packing for Protecting Embedded Software against Reverse Engineering (May 2010)
Detecting Packed Executable File: Supervised or Anomaly Detection Method? (August 2016)
Detecting packed executables based on raw binary data (June 2010)
Detecting packed executables using steganalysis (December 2014)
Detection of metamorphic malware packers using multilayered LSTM networks (November 2020)
Detection of packed executables using support vector machines (July 2011)
Detection of Packed Malware (August 2012)
DexHunter: Toward Extracting Hidden Code from Packed Android Applications (September 2015)
Dynamic Binary Instrumentation for Deobfuscation and Unpacking (November 2009)
Dynamic classification of packing algorithms for inspecting executables using entropy analysis (October 2013)
Effective, efficient, and robust packing detection and classification (January 2018)
Efficient and Automatic Instrumentation for Packed Binaries (June 2009)
Efficient automatic original entry point detection (January 2019)
An efficient block-discriminant identification of packed malware (August 2015)
Efficient Malware Packer Identification Using Support Vector Machines with Spectrum Kernel (July 2013)
Efficient SVM Based Packer Identification with Binary Diffing Measures (July 2019)
ELF-Miner: Using structural knowledge and data mining methods to detect new (Linux) malicious executables (March 2012)
An Empirical Evaluation of an Unpacking Method Implemented with Dynamic Binary Instrumentation (September 2011)
Encoded Executable File Detection Technique via Executable File Header Analysis (April 2009)
Entropy analysis to classify unknown packing algorithms for malware detection (May 2016)
ESCAPE: Entropy Score Analysis of Packed Executable (October 2012)
Ether: Malware analysis via hardware virtualization extensions (2008)
Eureka: A Framework for Enabling Static Malware Analysis (October 2008)
Experimental Comparison of Machine Learning Models in Malware Packing Detection (September 2020)
An Experimental Study on Identifying Obfuscation Techniques in Packer (June 2016)
A Fast Flowgraph Based Classification System for Packed and Polymorphic Malware on the Endhost (April 2010)
Feature set reduction for the detection of packed executables (June 2014)
A Fine-Grained Classification Approach for the Packed Malicious Code (October 2012)
A Generic Approach to Automatic Deobfuscation of Executable Code (May 2015)
Generic Packing Detection using Several Complexity Analysis for Accurate Malware Detection (January 2014)
Generic unpacker of executable files (April 2015)
Generic Unpacking Method Based on Detecting Original Entry Point (November 2013)
Generic Unpacking of Self-modifying, Aggressive, Packed Binary Programs (May 2009)
Generic unpacking techniques (February 2009)
Generic unpacking using entropy analysis (October 2010)
Gunpack: un outil générique d'unpacking de malwares (June 2016)
A heuristic approach for detection of obfuscated malware (June 2009)
A Heuristics-based Static Analysis Approach for Detecting Packed PE Binaries (October 2013)
An Implementation of a Generic Unpacking Method on Bochs Emulator (September 2009)
Implementing your own generic unpacker (October 2015)
Information Theoretic Method for Classification of Packed and Encoded Files (September 2015)
Instructions-Based Detection of Sophisticated Obfuscation and Packing (October 2014)
A learning model to detect maliciousness of portable executable using integrated feature set (January 2017)
Maitland: Analysis of Packed and Encrypted Malware via Paravirtualization Extensions (June 2012)
Mal-EVE: Static detection model for evasive malware (August 2015)
Mal-Flux: Rendering hidden code of packed binary executable (March 2019)
Mal-XT: Higher accuracy hidden-code extraction of packed binary executable (November 2018)
Mal-Xtract: Hidden Code Extraction using Memory Analysis (January 2017)
Malware Analysis using Multiple API Sequence Mining Control Flow Graph (July 2017)
Malware analysis using visualized images and entropy graphs (February 2015)
Malware obfuscation techniques: A brief survey (November 2010)
Malware obfuscation through evolutionary packers (July 2015)
Malwise - An Effective and Efficient Classification System for Packed and Polymorphic Malware (June 2013)
McBoost: Boosting scalability in malware collection and analysis using statistical classification of executables (December 2008)
Memory behavior-based automatic malware unpacking in stealth debugging environment (October 2010)
Modern linux malware exposed (June 2018)
MutantX-S: Scalable malware clustering based on static features (June 2013)
The new signature generation method based on an unpacking algorithm and procedure for a packer detection (February 2011)
Obfuscation: The Hidden Malware (August 2011)
Obfuscation: Where are we in anti-DSE protections? (a first attempt) (December 2019)
OmniUnpack: Fast, Generic, and Safe Unpacking of Malware (December 2007)
On the adoption of anomaly detection for packed executable filtering (June 2014)
One packer to rule them all: Empirical identification, comparison and circumvention of current Antivirus detection techniques (July 2014)
One packer to rule them all: Empirical identification, comparison and circumvention of current Antivirus detection techniques (July 2014)
OPEM: A Static-Dynamic Approach for Machine-Learning-Based Malware Detection (September 2012)
An Original Entry Point Detection Method with Candidate-Sorting for More Effective Generic Unpacking (January 2015)
Packed Malware Detection using Entropy Related Analysis: A Survey (November 2015)
Packed malware variants detection using deep belief networks (March 2020)
Packed PE File Detection for Malware Forensics (December 2009)
Packer Analysis Report Debugging and Unpacking the NsPack 3.4 and 3.7 Packer (June 2010)
Packer Classifier Based on PE Header Information (April 2015)
Packer Detection for Multi-Layer Executables Using Entropy Analysis (March 2017)
Packer Identification Based on Metadata Signature (December 2017)
Packer identification method based on byte sequences (November 2018)
Packer identification using Byte plot and Markov plot (September 2015)
Packer Identification Using Hidden Markov Model (November 2017)
Packer-Complexity Analysis in PANDA (January 2018)
Pandora’s Bochs: Automatic Unpacking of Malware (January 2008)
Pattern Recognition Techniques for the Classification of Malware Packers (July 2010)
PE File Features in Detection of Packed Executables (January 2012)
PE File Header Analysis-Based Packed PE File Detection Technique (PHAD) (October 2008)
PE-Probe: Leveraging Packer Detection and Structural Information to Detect Malicious Portable Executables (June 2009)
PEAL - Packed Executable AnaLysis (January 2012)
PinDemonium: a DBI-based generic unpacker for Windows executables (July 2016)
PolyUnpack: Automating the Hidden-Code Extraction of Unpack-Executing Malware (December 2006)
Prevalence and Impact of Low-Entropy Packing Schemes in the Malware Ecosystem (February 2020)
RAMBO: Run-Time Packer Analysis with Multiple Branch Observation (July 2016)
REFORM: A framework for malware packer analysis using information theory and statistical methods (April 2010)
Renovo: A Hidden Code Extractor for Packed Executables (November 2007)
RePEconstruct: reconstructing binaries with self-modifying code and import address table destruction (October 2016)
Research and Implementation of Compression Shell Unpacking Technology for PE File (May 2009)
Revealing Packed Malware (September 2008)
Reverse Engineering Self-Modifying Code: Unpacker Extraction (October 2010)
Runtime Packers Testing Experiences (May 2008)
Runtime Packers: The Hidden Problem? (July 2006)
SATURN - software deobfuscation framework based on LLVM (November 2019)
SCORE: Source Code Optimization & REconstruction (July 2020)
SE-PAC: A self-evolving PAcker classifier against rapid packers evolution (April 2021)
Secure and advanced unpacking using computer emulation (August 2007)
Semi-supervised learning for packed executable detection (September 2011)
Semi-supervised Learning for Unknown Malware Detection (April 2011)
Sensitive system calls based packed malware variants detection using principal component initialized MultiLayers neural networks (September 2018)
SoK: Deep Packer Inspection: A Longitudinal Study of the Complexity of Run-Time Packers (May 2015)
SPADE: Signature Based PAcker DEtection (August 2012)
A Static, Packer-Agnostic Filter to Detect Similar Malware Samples (July 2012)
Structural Feature Based Anomaly Detection for Packed Executable Identification (June 2011)
The study of evasion of packed PE from static detection (June 2012)
A Study of the Packer Problem and Its Solutions (September 2008)
Survey on malware evasion techniques: State of the art and challenges (February 2012)
Syntia: Synthesizing the Semantics of Obfuscated Code (August 2017)
Things You May Not Know About Android (Un) Packers: A Systematic Study based on Whole-System Emulation. (February 2018)
Thwarting Real-Time Dynamic Unpacking (January 2011)
TitanMist: Your First Step to Reversing Nirvana (July 2010)
Toward Generic Unpacking Techniques for Malware Analysis with Quantification of Code Revelation (August 2009)
Towards Paving the Way for Large-Scale Windows Malware Analysis: Generic Binary Unpacking with Orders-of-Magnitude Performance Boost (October 2018)
Two Techniques for Detecting Packed Portable Executable Files (June 2013)
Unpacking Framework for Packed Malicious Executables (July 2013)
Unpacking Techniques and Tools in Malware Analysis (September 2012)
Unpacking Virtualization Obfuscators (August 2009)
UnThemida: Commercial obfuscation technique analysis with a fully obfuscated program (July 2018)
Using Entropy Analysis to Find Encrypted and Packed Malware (March 2007)
VMAttack: Deobfuscating Virtualization-Based Packed Binaries (August 2017)
WaveAtlas: Surfing Through the Landscape of Current Malware Packers (September 2015)
We Can Still Crack You! General unpacking method for Android Packer(NO ROOT) (September 2015)
When malware is packing heat (January 2018)
Writing a Packer (2021)
Writing a simple PE Packer in detail (March 2019)
WYSINWYX: What you see is not what you EXecute (August 2010)
x64Unpack: Hybrid Emulation Unpacker for 64-bit Windows Environments and Detailed Analysis Results on VMProtect 3.4 (July 2020)

Datasets

Ember
Malfease
MalShare
OARC
Offensive Computing
PackingData
Packware
Runtime Packers Testset
SOREL
theZoo
VirusShare
VX Heaven
WildList

Packers

20to4
32Lite
624
ACProtect
AHPack
AinEXE
Alienyze
Amber
Andromeda
Anti007
aPack
APKProtect
Application Protector
Armadillo
ASPack
ASProtect 32
ASProtect 64
AT4RE Protector
AverCryptor
AVPack
AXE
AxProtector
BangCle
Beria
Bero EXE Packer (BEP)
BIN-crypter
BJFNT
BoxedApp Packer
Bundle EXE
BurnEye
CauseWay Compressor
CEXE
Code Virtualizer
ComPAck
ConfuserEx
Crinkler
Cryptic
DalKrypt
DarkCrypt
DEPack
DexGuard
DexProtector
Diet
DotBundle
DotNetZ
DotProtect
DragonArmor
DXPack
ELFuck
Enigma
Enigma Protector
Enigma Virtual Box
EP Protector
EPack
EPPort
Eronona-Packer
Excalibur
EXE Bundle
EXE Guarder
EXE Stealth
EXE Wrapper
Exe32Pack
EXECrypt
EXECryptor
EXEPack.NET
eXPressor
Ezip
Ezuri
FSG
GzExe
HASP Envelope
HidePE
HmimysPack
hXOR-Packer
Ijiami
JDPack
JDProtect
Kbys
Kkrunchy
Krypton
LameCrypt
LGLZ
LIAPP
LM-X License Manager
LxLite
LzExe
m0dern_p4cker
MaskPE
Megalite
MEW
MidgetPack
MKFPack
MoleBox
Morphine
mPack
MPRESS
MSLRH
Mucki
Muncho
NakedPacker
NCPH
NeLite
Neolite
NetCrypt
NPack
NSPack
NTPacker
Obsidium
ORiEN
Origami
PACK
Pack Master
PackItBitch
PackMan
Pakkero
PangXie
Papaw
PC-Guard
PCShrinker
PE Cryptor
PE-Armor
PE-Packer
PE-Protector
PE-Toy
PEBundle
PECompact
PEDiminisher
PELock
PEncrypt
PENinja
PEPack
PePacker
PEShield
PESpin
PEtite
PEX
PEzor
PK-Smart
PKlite
PMode
PMWLITE
PolyCrypt
PolyEne
Polymorph Crypter
PolyPack
Private EXE Protector
Pro-Pack
Qihoo
RCryptor
RJCrush
RLPack
Rubbish
RUCC
SDProtector
SecuPack
sePACKER
Shiva
Shrinker
Silent-Packer
Simple-PE32-Packer
Smart Packer
SPack
ST Protector
StealthPE
SVK Protector
SysPack
T-Pack
tElock
theArk
Themida
TinyProg
Trojan Protect
TTProtect
UPack
UPC
UPolyX
UPX
V2Packer
Vacuum
VMProtect
Ward
WinCrypt
Winkrypt
WinUpack
WWPack
XComp
XE
xorPacker
XPA
XPack
Yoda Protector
Yoda's Crypter
ZProtect

Tools

Android Unpacker
aPLib
AppSpear
Bintropy
BitBlaze
Clamscan Unpacker
de4js
DIE
Ether
Eureka
EXEInfo-PE
EXETools (Packers)
EXETools (Unpackers)
FUU
GUnpacker
Justin
Manalyze
OEPdet
OmniUnpack
PackerAttacker
PackerBreaker
PackerGrind
PackerID
Packing-Box
Pandora’s Bochs
PEFrame
PEiD
Packed Executable iDentifier
PEiD (yara)
PeLib
PEPack (part of PEV)
PINdemonium
PolyUnpack
PortEx
PyPackerDetect
PyPeid
Quick Unpack
RapidEXE
RDG Packer Detector
REMINDer
Renovo
RetDec
SymPack
Unipacker
UnpacMe
Unpckarc
Uunp (IDA Pro plugin)
VirusTotal
VMUnpacker