PMA 41: Windows 10 or 11 with Analysis Tools (20 pts)

What you need

A computer with VMware or some other hypervisor product installed

Purpose

To set up a Windows 10-based machine with a set of free forensic and malware analysis tools.

The steps below this box explain how to build your own machine, which will take some time.

The Fast Way
Windows 10

License Expired
On Sept 21, 2021, the license on this machine expired.
To activate it for another 90 days,
open an Administrator Command Prompt
and execute this command:
slmgr /rearm
Then restart your machine.

VMware Users
Download this file: Win10_w_Tools_061721a.7z
     Size: 17.46 GB (17,455,336,852 bytes)
     SHA256(Win10_w_Tools_061721a.7z)= bbc4df40f9d334180987c892122851f7d3b7d17471d2aa05d888bc34733ab006
If you are on Windows, you can unzip that file with 7-Zip. If you are on a Mac, use The Unarchiver.
Import the OVF it contains into VMware.
In VMware Workstation Player, use File, Open.

Troubleshooting
In Aug, 2022 I did this process and the mouse did not work properly in the virtual machine. The solution was to remove VMware tools and install this old version instead.
Download this ZIP file on your host system. Unzip it. Connect the ISO included in it to your virtual machine as a virtual CD ando install it.

VirtualBox Users
Download this file: Win10_w_Tools061721.ova
     Size: 16 GB (17,668,780,032 bytes)
     SHA256(Win10_w_Tools061721.ova)= f0db89dfb633ac86f14e19991e365635959d4bdeb579269feb53086dbf58f7e8
Import it into VirtualBox.
Logging In
Log in with these credentials:

Username: IEUser
Password: Passw0rd!

Fixing Python
Open an Administrator Command prompt and execute these commands:
cd c:\Windows mklink /H python.exe c:\python27\python.exe
The hard disk on this virtual machine has already been expanded to 100 GB,
and Windows Defender and SmartScreen have been disabled in Local Group Policy.

Flag PMA 41.1: C: Subfolder (20 pts)
Open File Explorer. In the left pane, expand the C: drive.
The flag is covered by a green box in the image below.

Making your Own Machine

Downloading a Windows 10 VM

In a browser, go to

https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-edge/tools/vms/

In the "Virtual Machines" list, select "MSEdge on Win10...", as shown below.

In the Choose a VM platform" list, choose your virtualization software, as shown below.

Download the file. Unzip it and launch it in your virtualization software. For VMware, use File, Import, and customize the virtual machine so it has an 80 GB hard disk.

Username: IEUser
Password: Passw0rd!

Allow Windows to install any updates it wants to.

You may need to install VMware Tools (or the comparable software) manually.

Downloading a Windows 10 or 11 ISO

You can get them here.

Installing Firefox

In your Windows virtual machine, open Edge. Go to

https://getfirefox.com

Download and install Firefox.

Install WinDbg Preview
Get it from the Microsoft Store

Disabling Windows Defender

It is now very difficult to disable Windows Defender.

As of July 25, 2021, the best way is to configure an Exclusion of C:\

Another method that works is to install AVG Free and exclude C: in that.

Disabling Windows SmartScreen

In Local Group Policy Editor, in "Computer Configuration", in "Administrative Templates", in "Windows Components", click "File Explorer", as shown below.

In the right pane, double-click "Configure Windows Defender Smartscreen", as shown below.

In the "Configure Windows Defender Smartscreen" box, click Disabled, as shown below. Then click OK.

Restart your Windows machine.

Disabling Updates

Using Group Policy

Disable Windows Update Medic Service with Regedit

Increasing the Hard Disk Size

If you didn't already increase the hard disk size, you can do it at any time.

Instructions for VMware are here:

https://docs.vmware.com/en/VMware-Fusion/11/com.vmware.fusion.using.doc/GUID-2CE88716-DB0B-4612-AEFE-726E737E347B.html

Downloading the Installers

To make your own machine, on a Windows machine, download this archive:

WinTools.zip
Size: 1.68 GB (1,676,639,482 bytes)
SHA256: a648709f5a3597bbcdd03fc2b3c1d157b78eb6ba81cc28c0a57706d948248889

It contains all the installers detailed below.

Follow the instructions there to install the programs.

Tools with Installers

Run the installer with the default options.

7-zip

API Monitor v2r13, 64-bit

Bochs x86 PC emulator

Easy RM to MP3 Converter 2.7.3.700 - Local Buffer Overflow
Run the EXE installer

Explorer Suite (Includes CFF Explorer)
Run the EXE installer

Hashcalc

HxD

IDA v7.6 (freeware version)

Immunity Debugger (Also installs Python 2.7)
Mona.py -- Copy to "C:\Program Files (x86)\Immunity Inc\Immunity Debugger\PyCommands"

Java JRE 64-bit

Nmap

Wireshark

Visual Studio 2019
Double-click vs_community__1715534944.1623934081.exe.
Check "Desktop development with C++" and install the default selection of tools

Also install "Debugging Tools for Windows" as explained in this project. Don't "Set Up Local Kernel-Mode Debugging".

Tools Without Installers

BinText
Create a C:\Tools folder. Double-click bintext303.zip. Drag bintext.exe to C:\Tools. Right-click C:\Tools\bintext.exe, "Pin to Start"

capa v1.6.3
Double-click, drag to C:\Tools

Dependency Walker 2.2
Double-click. Drag all the files to C:\Tools. Right-click the EXE in C:\Tools, "Pin to Start"

Dll Export Viewer

Double-click. Drag all the files to C:\Tools. Right-click the EXE in C:\Tools, "Pin to Start"

JDK 16.0.1 General-Availability Release
Double-click openjdk-16.0.1_windows-x64_bin.zip. Drag the jdk-16.0.1 folder to C:\Program Files\Java

Ghidra v9.2.4
Double-click ghidra_9.2.4_PUBLIC_20210427.zip. Drag the ghidra_9.2.4_PUBLIC folder to "C:\Program Files"
Right-click C:\Program Files\ghidra_9.2.4_PUBLIC\ghidraRun.bat, "Send to", "Desktop (create shortcut)"

ILSpy
Double-click. Drag all the contents to C:\Tools, right-click C:\Tools\ILSpy.exe, "Pin to Start"

Jasmin
Drag jasmin-1.5.8-PC.jar to C:\Tools, right-click, "Send to", "Desktop (create shortcut)"

Metasploit
Launch the installer from an Administrator PowerShell window.
Halfway through, the installer pauses for a minute or two, just wait for it.

OllyDbg 1.10
Double-click. Drag all the contents to C:\Tools (skip the readme). Right-click C:\Tools\OLLYDBG.EXE, "Pin to Start"
OllyDbg Plugins: OllyDump
Double-click g_ollydump221b.zip. Drag OllyDump.dll to C:\Tools

PEiD
Double-click PEiD-0.95-20081103.zip.
Drag all the contents to C:\Tools (skip the readme).
Right-click C:\Tools\PEiD.exe, "Pin to Start"

pestudio
Double-click pestudio.zip. Drag the pestudio folder to C:\Program Files(x86)
Right-click C:\Program Files(x86)\pestudio\pestudio.exe, "Pin to Start"

PEview
Double-click PEview.zip. Drag PEview.exe to C:\Tools, right-click C:\Tools\PEview.exe, "Pin to Start"

PracticalMalwareAnalysis-Labs
Unzip with 7-Zip and the password malware.
Run the EXE. Redirect the output to the Desktop.

setdllcharacteristics
Double-click setdllcharacteristics_v0_0_0_1.zip and drag setdllcharacteristics.exe to C:\Tools

Sysinternals Suite
Double-click. Drag all the contents to C:\Tools (skip the readme).
Right-click C:\Tools\Procmon64.exe, "Pin to Start"
Right-click C:\Tools\procexp64.exe, "Pin to Start"

UPX
Double-click upx-3.96-win64.zip. Double-click the upx-3.96-win64 folder. Drag upx.exe to C:\Tools

Vulnserver
Double-click vulnserver.zip, and copy vulnserver.exe and essfunc.dll to C:\Tools

x64dbg
Extract snapshot_2021-06-14_16-37.zip into a folder.
Rename that folder to x64dbg.
Drag it to C:\Program Files
Right-click C:\Program Files\x64dbg\release\x64\x64dbg.exe and click "Pin to Start".

Yara
Double-click yara-v4.1.1-1635-win64.zip. Drag copy yara64.exe and yarac64.exe to C:\Tools

In Control Panel, System, "Advanced System Settings", click "Environment Variables".
In "System variables", double-click Path. Add C:\Tools to the Path.

References

Export a VMWare Fusion virtual machine
7zz Command Line Commands

Posted 6-17-2021
Win 11 added 6-19-2021
VirtualBox instructions added 6-22-2021
Win 11 removed 6-30-21
Workstation Player instruction added 7-2-21
Win 11 added again 7-4-21
Win 11 removed again, Defender exclusion tip added 7-25-21
Rearming instructions added 9-21-2021
Win 11 added again 10-17-2021
inTools updated 10-18-21
Debugging Tools and Windows Update Medic Service added 10-29-21
mklink added 11-30-31
VMware tools tip added 8-26-22