> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://dmcxblue.gitbook.io/red-team-notes-2-0/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://dmcxblue.gitbook.io/red-team-notes-2-0/red-team-techniques/defense-evasion/t0127-obfuscated-files-or-information/software-packing.md).

# Software Packing

Adversaries may perform software packing or virtual machine software protection to conceal their code. Software packing is a method of compressing or encrypting an executable. Packing an executable changes the file signature in an attempt to avoid signature-based detection. Most decompression techniques decompress the executable code in memory. Virtual machine software protection translates an executable's original code into a special format that only a special virtual machine can run. A virtual machine is then called to run this code.

Utilities used to perform software packing are called packers. Example packers are MPRESS and UPX. A more comprehensive list of known packers is available, but adversaries mat create their own packing techniques that do not leave the same artifacts as well-known packers to evade defenses.

**Example:**

Many software packers exist to make some of our payloads smaller and use some form of packing when needed to move to different places.

Here I will use UPX a very well-known packer for binaries.

![](/files/-MRhsTzO7eZ3aHq-gJsn)

Now will work with our previous payload that was padded until the file size changed from 7 kb to 20MB

![](/files/-MRhsUw9NmKby64eLviA)

And packed Size now.

![](/files/-MRhsVjWOvLZaIJNluMg)

Functionality still stays the same

![](/files/-MRhsWW7leNXnL7WufIk)

Sometimes this technique is great as the binaries hash and strings change but are decrypted during run time. For more info on this tool do visit

[UPX](https://github.com/upx/upx)