# Python for Malware Analysts

> Master essential Python libraries for malware analysis. Learn to parse PE files with pefile, unpack binary data with struct, and automate static analysis tasks.

Canonical: https://codelivly.com/rooms/python-for-malware-analysts
Last updated: 2026-09-21

| | |
|---|---|
| Level | Intermediate |
| Category | Malware Analysis |
| Lessons | 3 |
| Estimated time | 30 min |
| XP | 100 |

This module bridges the critical gap between manual reverse engineering and scalable automation. You will learn to harness Python to parse complex binary formats, extract hidden artifacts, and automate repetitive static analysis tasks. The curriculum covers essential libraries like pefile for deep PE header inspection, struct for unpacking raw binary data and custom data structures, and hashlib/cryptography for implementing custom decryption routines. By mastering these Python fundamentals, you will transform hours of manual hex editing and header parsing into seconds of automated execution.

## Lessons

1. What Is Analyst Automation and Why Does It Matter (30 min)
2. Python Libraries for Binary Analysis (pefile, yara-python) (30 min)
3. Guided Lab: Writing a Script to Auto-Extract PE Metadata (30 min)

## Related

- [Learning path: Scripting and Automation for Malware Analysis](https://codelivly.com/learning-paths/scripting-and-automation-for-malware-analysis)
- [All rooms](https://codelivly.com/rooms)