Automatic linux malware detection using binary inspection and runtime opcode tracing☆

Martí Alonso

doi:10.1016/j.micpro.2025.105237

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Automatic linux malware detection using binary inspection and runtime opcode tracing☆

2025-12-01

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DOI：10.1016/j.micpro.2025.105237

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Abstract

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The fast-paced evolution of cyberattacks to digital infrastructures requires new protection mechanisms to counterattack them. Malware attacks, a type of cyberattacks ranging from viruses and worms to ransomware and spyware, have been traditionally detected using signature-based methods. But with new versions of malware, this approach is not good enough, and new machine learning tools look promising. In this paper we present two methods to detect Linux malware using machine learning models: (1) a dynamic approach, that tracks the application executed instructions (opcodes) while they are being executed; and (2) a static approach, that inspects the binary application files before execution. We evaluate (1) five machine learning models (Support Vector Machine, k-Nearest Neighbor, Naive Bayes, Decision Tree and Random Forest) and (2) a deep neural network using a Long Short-Term Memory architecture with word embedding. We show the methodology, the initial dataset preparation, the infrastructure used to obtain the traces of executed instructions, and the evaluation of the results for the different models used. The obtained results show that the dynamic approach with a Random Forest classifier gets a 90% accuracy or higher, while the static approach obtains a 98% accuracy.

Keywords:

Linux malware detection

Static analysis

Dynamic analysis

Opcodes

Machine learning