Cracking the Code: A Deep Dive into the Citadel Botnet

Citadel, a sneaky malware that swipes financial info, is a big threat. The FBI and Microsoft teamed up to knock out its command centers, but it's still causing trouble. This malware is tough to crack due to its complex design and smart tricks. We're sharing what we found out about how Citadel works and what makes it tick. To speed up the investigation, we're using a new method called clone-based analysis. Citadel is like a kid of another malware called Zeus. By comparing the two, we can see what's new and what's the same. This helps us figure out how Citadel works and how to stop it. Our method has two parts: matching code with its original source and spotting similar code pieces. This makes it easier to understand the malware without checking every single part. Our tests show this approach works well for Citadel and can be used for other similar malwares.