ANY.RUN Sandbox Now Let Analysts Automatically Analyse Complex Cyber Attack Chains

ANY.RUN announced the launch of Smart Content Analysis, an advanced mechanism within its Automated Interactivity feature that enables the service to automatically detonate complex malware and phishing attacks, helping users speed up their investigations and gain in-depth insights into malicious behavior. 

About Smart Content Analysis 

Smart Content Analysis is a mechanism that allows the ANY.RUN sandbox to execute multi-stage cyber attacks without any user involvement. It does this by following three main steps: 

• Scanning uploaded files to locate critical components, such as URLs and email attachments. 
• Identifying the key components detonation of which moves the attack forward, including URLs embedded within QR codes or rewritten by security filters. 
• Engaging with the malicious content in a controlled environment, for instance, by opening URLs in a browser or running payloads found in email archive attachments to observe their behavior. 

Detonating a Multi-Stage Attack with Automated Interactivity 

With this new upgrade, ANY.RUN’s sandbox can automatically execute the following types of content found at different stages of complex cyber attacks: 

• URLs inside QR codes 
• Modified links 
• Multi-stage redirects 
• Email attachments 
• Payloads with archives 

Users interested can get a 14-day free trial of ANY.RUN to explore Automated Interactivity and other PRO features  

Consider the following multi-stage phishing attack analyzed with Automated Interactivity.  

The system automatically opens the .eml file submitted by the user via Outlook, detects a PDF attachment, and scans its contents. 

Inside the PDF, it identifies a QR code, instantly extracts the embedded URL, and opens it in a browser.   

When faced with a CAPTCHA challenge, commonly used to evade detection, the feature successfully solves it and moves on to the next stage of the attack. 

Eventually, it successfully reaches the final phishing page, not only ensuring complete detection of the attack, but also providing additional context on the threat at hand. 

Adaptive to New Threats 

ANY.RUN’s Smart Content Analysis is built to adapt to the changing threat landscape. With regular attack scenario updates from the ANY.RUN threat research team, the system remains aligned with emerging attack methods, allowing it to handle even the latest and most evasive threats. 

Exploring Smart Content Analysis 

Automated Interactivity helps security professionals streamline and improve their threat investigations: 

• Less manual effort: No more wasted clicks. Let the sandbox handle repetitive actions so you can focus on the bigger picture.  
• Faster, deeper insights: Go beyond surface detections with simulations that bring hidden threat layers to light.  
• Speedy analysis: Accelerate your analysis with automation that moves as fast as you do, from simple phishing links to layered attack chains. 

Users can request a 14-day free trial of ANY.RUN’s Interactive Sandbox to try Automated Interactivity for free.