Windows Anti-Debug Reference

Windows Anti-Debug Reference
Nicolas Falliere

This paper classifies and presents several anti-debugging techniques used on Windows NT-based operating systems. Anti-debugging techniques are ways for a program to detect if it runs under control of a debugger. They are used by commercial executable protectors, packers and malicious software, to prevent or slow-down the process of reverse-engineering. We'll suppose the program is analyzed under a ring3 debugger, such as OllyDbg on Windows platforms. The paper is aimed towards reverse-engineers and malware analysts. Note that we will talk purely about generic anti-debugging and anti-tracing techniques. Specific debugger detection, such as window or processes enumeration, registry scanning, etc. will not be addressed here.

Re: Windows Anti-Debug Reference 2008-11-22
Anonymous

Most of the anti-debug functions were written with the __inline keyword so that they wont end up being discrete callable functions, but instead the compiler will inject the statements directly into the code stream every time they are called....

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