NtQueryInformationProcess

Created the Monday 18 March 2019. Updated 3 years, 10 months ago.

This function retrieves information about a running process. Malware are able to detect if the process is currently being attached to a debugger using the ProcessDebugPort (0x7) information class.

A nonzero value returned by the call indicates that the process is being debugged.

Technique Identifier

U0120

Technique Tag

NtQueryInformationProcess

Code Snippets

program NtQueryProcessInformation;

{$APPTYPE CONSOLE}

{$R *.res}

uses
  Winapi.Windows,
  System.SysUtils;

function NtQueryInformationProcess(
  ProcessHandle : THandle;
  ProcessInformationClass : DWORD;
  ProcessInformation : Pointer;
  ProcessInformationLength : ULONG;
  ReturnLength : PULONG
): LongInt; stdcall; external 'ntdll.dll';

// https://docs.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows/win32/api/winternl/nf-winternl-ntqueryinformationprocess
function isDebuggerPresent(): Boolean;
var hProcess : THandle;
    APortNumber : DWORD;
    ARetLen : Cardinal;

const ProcessDebugPort = 7;
begin
  hProcess := GetCurrentProcess();
  if hProcess = 0 then
    Exit();
  ///

  if NtQueryInformationProcess(hProcess, ProcessDebugPort, @APortNumber, sizeOf(DWORD), @ARetLen) <> ERROR_SUCCESS then
    Exit();

  result := APortNumber <> 0;
end;

begin
  try
    if isDebuggerPresent() then
      raise Exception.Create('Debugger Detected !');

    WriteLn('No Debugger Detected :)');
  except
    on E: Exception do
      Writeln(E.ClassName, ': ', E.Message);
  end;

  WriteLn('Press a return key to close application.');
  ReadLn;
end.

using System;
using System.Runtime.InteropServices;

[DllImport("ntdll.dll", SetLastError = true)]
static extern int NtQueryInformationProcess(
    IntPtr processHandle,
    int processInformationClass,
    ref IntPtr processInformation,
    uint processInformationLength,
    ref IntPtr returnLength
);

[DllImport("kernel32.dll", SetLastError = true)]
static extern IntPtr GetCurrentProcess();

bool isBeingDebugged()
{
    var ERROR_SUCCESS = 0x0;
    var ProcessDebugPort = 0x7;

    IntPtr currProcessHandle = GetCurrentProcess();
    if (currProcessHandle == IntPtr.Zero)
    {
        throw new Exception("Could not retrieve current process handle.");
    }

    IntPtr returnLength = IntPtr.Zero;
    IntPtr portNumber = IntPtr.Zero;

    int ntStatus = NtQueryInformationProcess(currProcessHandle, ProcessDebugPort, ref portNumber, (uint)IntPtr.Size, ref returnLength);        
    if (ntStatus != ERROR_SUCCESS)
    {
        throw new Exception("Could not query information process.");
    }

    return (portNumber != IntPtr.Zero);
}

if (isBeingDebugged())
{
    throw new Exception("Debugger Detected !");
}

Console.WriteLine("No Debugger Detected :)");

Detection Rules

                                    rule Detect_NtQueryInformationProcess: AntiDebug {
    meta: 
        description = "Detect NtQueryInformationProcess as anti-debug"
        author = "Unprotect"
        comment = "Experimental rule"
    strings:
        $1 = "NtQueryInformationProcess" fullword ascii
    condition:   
       uint16(0) == 0x5A4D and filesize < 1000KB and $1
}

                                    rule:
  meta:
    name: check process job object
    namespace: anti-analysis/anti-debugging/debugger-detection
    authors:
      - michael.hunhoff@mandiant.com
    scope: function
    mbc:
      - Anti-Behavioral Analysis::Debugger Detection [B0001]
    references:
      - https://github.com/LordNoteworthy/al-khaser/blob/master/al-khaser/AntiDebug/ProcessJob.cpp
    examples:
      - al-khaser_x86.exe_:0x426730
  features:
    - and:
      - match: contain loop
      - basic block:
        - and:
          - api: kernel32.QueryInformationJobObject
          - number: 0x3 = JobObjectBasicProcessIdList
      - basic block:
        - and:
          - api: kernel32.OpenProcess
          - number: 0x400 = PROCESS_QUERY_INFORMATION

Additional Resources

External Links

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NtQueryInformationProcess function (winternl.h) - Win32 apps | Microsoft Docs