CCS2025

Adversarially Robust Assembly Language Model for Packed Executables Detection

Shijia Li, Jiang Ming, Lanqing Liu, Longwei Yang, Ni Zhang, Chunfu Jia

Abstract

Detecting packed executables is a critical component of large-scale malware analysis and antivirus engine workflows, as it identifies samples that warrant computationally intensive dynamic unpacking to reveal concealed malicious behavior. Traditionally, packer detection techniques have relied on empirical features, such as high entropy or specific binary patterns. However, these empirical, feature-based methods are increasingly vulnerable to evasion by adversarial samples or unknown packers (e.g., low-entropy packers). Furthermore, the dependence on expert-crafted features poses challenges in sustaining and evolving these methods over time.