EXploit And Malware INcubator (EXAMIN)

To control the costs of software development of complex, critical military, government, and commercial applications, organizations are turning to outside specialty sub-contractors and COTS software. However, the uncertain pedigree of purchased software leads to the possible presence of exploitable vulnerabilities and malicious code that represent unacceptable security risks. To mitigate this threat, enterprises require tools capable of safely and dynamically detecting security problems in executable object code prior to deployment. To address this need, ATC-NY, Architecture Technology Corporation, and Lockheed Martin will create the EXploit And Malware INcubator (EXAMIN), a tool designed to assist in the safe triggering and detection of malicious code and vulnerabilities in binaries. EXAMIN will consist of two main components: (1) an isolated sandbox built using a virtual machine that is capable of simulating deployment environments, and (2) an instrumentation system that monitors an executable's activity inside the sandbox and builds profiles of its resource usage. EXAMIN will be a flexible and extensible platform capable of simulating a variety of environments and accommodating a variety of supporting tools.