Environment Preparation

MAIAT prepares a secure, isolated environment to safely unpack and inspect archives:

• Virtual Machine / Container: Uses sandboxed VMs or Docker containers with archive tools preinstalled.
• Network Isolation: Prevents accidental C2 activation during extraction.
• Tool Deployment: Ensures availability of:
  • Extractors: 7-Zip, unzip, unrar, tar, binwalk.
  • Scanners: ClamAV, YARA, VirusTotal API.
  • MAIAT Agents: Auto-trigger file-type detection and recursive analysis agents.

Static Analysis

MAIAT inspects the archive structure without full extraction:

• Format Identification: Validates actual format vs. extension (e.g., a .zip with PE inside).
• File List Inspection: Reviews filenames for:
  • Double extensions (e.g., invoice.pdf.exe)
  • Spoofed icons (e.g., .LNK files disguised as PDFs)
  • Hidden or system files (e.g., ..exe)
• Password Protection Detection: Flags encrypted entries (common in phishing campaigns).
• Nested Archive Detection: Identifies multi-layered packing (e.g., ZIP → RAR → EXE).
• Entropy Analysis: High entropy may indicate packed or encrypted malware.
• Hashing & IOC Matching: Computes hash of archive and individual files; checks against threat intel.

Dynamic Analysis

MAIAT extracts and monitors the behavior of archive contents:

• Controlled Extraction: Unpacks files in a monitored directory; blocks execution of executables.
• Recursive Analysis: Automatically analyzes extracted files (e.g., a .doc inside a .zip inside a .7z).
• Behavior Monitoring: If executables are run:
  • Tracks file drops, registry changes, process creation.
  • Captures network traffic for C2 detection.
• Emulation of Shortcuts (.LNK): Safely analyzes shortcut behavior without execution.

Advanced Analysis

For evasive or multi-stage archives, MAIAT applies advanced techniques:

• Brute-Force & Dictionary Support: Attempts common passwords (e.g., "password", "123456") on encrypted entries.
• Memory Dumps: If a payload executes, memory is dumped for shellcode extraction.
• YARA Rule Matching: Scans all extracted files against custom and public YARA rules.
• Hybrid Analysis: Combines static and dynamic results to reconstruct attack chain.

Classification and Risk Assessment

A MAIAT agent evaluates the archive and its contents:

Threat Type

• Packed Malware: Archive contains an executable (EXE, DLL, JS).
• Phishing Kit: Includes fake login pages, scripts, and images.
• Multi-Stage Dropper: Nested archives leading to final payload.
• Benign Archive: Legitimate data with no malicious content.

Risk Level

• Low: No malicious files detected.
• Medium: Suspicious filenames or obfuscation, but clean contents.
• High: Malicious payload identified (e.g., trojan, downloader).
• Critical: Known ransomware, spyware, or zero-day exploit delivery.

Reporting

A MAIAT reporting agent generates a comprehensive summary:

• Archive Overview: Format, size, number of files, password protection status.
• Extracted Files: List with types, hashes, and analysis results.
• Indicators of Compromise (IOCs):
  • Archive hash (SHA256)
  • Filenames, C2 IPs, URLs from extracted content
  • YARA rule matches
• TTPs (MITRE ATT&CK): T1204 (User Execution), T1190 (Exploit Public-Facing Application), T1036 (Masquerading).
• Mitigation Recommendations:
  • Block email attachments with double extensions.
  • Scan all archives at network gateways.
  • Restrict execution from temp directories.
  • Use sandboxing for suspicious archives.

AI Agent Coordination

MAIAT’s AI coordinator manages the entire archive analysis workflow — from initial inspection to recursive file analysis. It prioritizes resources based on risk, escalates suspicious files to dynamic analysis, and integrates findings into a unified threat report. With automated IOC extraction and SOAR integration, MAIAT enables rapid response to archive-based threats across enterprise environments.