We are triaging a binary to quickly understand what it does. This is an initial survey, not deep analysis. Our goal is to:
-
Identify key components and behaviors
-
Flag suspicious or interesting areas
-
Create a task list of next steps for deeper investigation
Binary triage with ReVa
Follow this systematic workflow using ReVa's MCP tools:
1. Identify the Program
-
Use
get-current-programto see the active program -
Or use
list-project-filesto see available programs in the project -
Note the
programPath(e.g., "/Hatchery.exe") for use in subsequent tools
2. Survey Memory Layout
-
Use
get-memory-blocksto understand the binary structure -
Examine key sections:
.text - executable code
-
.data- initialized data -
.rodata- read-only data (strings, constants) -
.bss- uninitialized data -
Flag unusual characteristics:
Unusually large sections
-
Packed/encrypted sections
-
Executable data sections
-
Writable code sections
3. Survey Strings
-
Use
get-strings-countto see total string count -
Use
get-stringswith pagination (100-200 strings at a time) -
Look for indicators of functionality or malicious behavior:
Network: URLs, IP addresses, domain names, API endpoints
-
File System: File paths, registry keys, configuration files
-
APIs: Function names, library references
-
Messages: Error messages, debug strings, log messages
-
Suspicious Keywords: admin, password, credential, token, crypto, encrypt, decrypt, download, execute, inject, shellcode, payload
4. Survey Symbols and Imports
-
Use
get-symbols-countwithincludeExternal=trueto count imports -
Use
get-symbolswithincludeExternal=trueandfilterDefaultNames=true -
Focus on external symbols (imports from libraries)
-
Flag interesting/suspicious imports by category:
Network APIs: connect, send, recv, WSAStartup, getaddrinfo, curl_*, socket
-
File I/O: CreateFile, WriteFile, ReadFile, fopen, fwrite, fread
-
Process Manipulation: CreateProcess, exec, fork, system, WinExec, ShellExecute
-
Memory Operations: VirtualAlloc, VirtualProtect, mmap, mprotect
-
Crypto: CryptEncrypt, CryptDecrypt, EVP_, AES_, bcrypt, RC4
-
Anti-Analysis: IsDebuggerPresent, CheckRemoteDebuggerPresent, ptrace
-
Registry: RegOpenKey, RegSetValue, RegQueryValue
-
Note the ratio of imports to total symbols (heavy import usage may indicate reliance on libraries)
5. Survey Functions
-
Use
get-function-countwithfilterDefaultNames=trueto count named functions -
Use
get-function-countwithfilterDefaultNames=falseto count all functions -
Calculate ratio of named vs unnamed functions (high unnamed ratio = stripped binary)
-
Use
get-functionswithfilterDefaultNames=trueto list named functions -
Identify key functions:
Entry points: entry, start, _start
-
Main functions:
main,WinMain,DllMain,_main -
Suspicious names: If not stripped, look for revealing function names
6. Cross-Reference Analysis for Key Findings
- For interesting strings found in Step 3:
Use find-cross-references with direction="to" and includeContext=true
-
Identify which functions reference suspicious strings
-
For suspicious imports found in Step 4:
Use find-cross-references with direction="to" and includeContext=true
-
Identify which functions call suspicious APIs
-
This helps prioritize which functions need detailed examination
7. Selective Initial Decompilation
- Use
get-decompilationon entry point or main function
Set limit=30 to get ~30 lines initially
-
Set
includeIncomingReferences=trueto see callers -
Set
includeReferenceContext=truefor context snippets -
Use
get-decompilationon 1-2 suspicious functions identified in Step 6
Set limit=20-30 for quick overview
- Look for high-level patterns:
Loops (encryption/decryption routines)
-
Network operations
-
File operations
-
Process creation
-
Suspicious control flow (obfuscation indicators)
-
Do not do deep analysis yet - this is just to understand general behavior
8. Document Findings and Create Task List
- Use the
TodoWritetool to create an actionable task list with items like:
"Investigate string 'http://malicious-c2.com' (referenced at 0x00401234)"
-
"Decompile function sub_401000 (calls VirtualAlloc + memcpy + CreateThread)"
-
"Analyze crypto usage in function encrypt_payload (uses CryptEncrypt)"
-
"Trace anti-debugging checks (IsDebuggerPresent at 0x00402000)"
-
"Examine packed section .UPX0 for unpacking routine"
-
Each todo should be:
Specific (include addresses, function names, strings)
-
Actionable (what needs to be investigated)
-
Prioritized (most suspicious first)
Output Format
Present triage findings to the user in this structured format:
Program Overview
-
Name: [Program name from programPath]
-
Type: [Executable type - PE, ELF, Mach-O, etc.]
-
Platform: [Windows, Linux, macOS, etc.]
Memory Layout
-
Total Size: [Size in bytes/KB/MB]
-
Key Sections: [List main sections with sizes and permissions]
-
Unusual Characteristics: [Any packed/encrypted/suspicious sections]
String Analysis
-
Total Strings: [Count from get-strings-count]
-
Notable Findings: [Bullet list of interesting strings with context]
-
Suspicious Indicators: [URLs, IPs, suspicious keywords found]
Import Analysis
-
Total Symbols: [Count from get-symbols-count]
-
External Imports: [Count of external symbols]
-
Key Libraries: [Main libraries imported]
-
Suspicious APIs: [Categorized list of concerning imports]
Function Analysis
-
Total Functions: [Count with filterDefaultNames=false]
-
Named Functions: [Count with filterDefaultNames=true]
-
Stripped Status: [Yes/No based on ratio]
-
Entry Point: [Address and name]
-
Main Function: [Address and name]
-
Key Functions: [List of important functions identified]
Suspicious Indicators
[Bulleted list of red flags discovered, prioritized by severity]
Recommended Next Steps
[Present the task list created in Step 8]
-
Each item should be specific and actionable
-
Prioritize by severity/importance
-
Include addresses, function names, and context
Important Notes
-
Speed over depth: This is triage, not full analysis. Move quickly through steps.
-
Use pagination: Don't request thousands of strings/functions at once. Use chunks of 100-200.
-
Focus on anomalies: Flag things that are unusual, suspicious, or interesting.
-
Context is key: When using cross-references, enable
includeContext=truefor code snippets. -
Create actionable todos: Each next step should be specific enough for another agent to execute.
-
Be systematic: Follow all 8 steps in order for comprehensive coverage.