Unpacking a Multi-Stage Loader

From Embedded Payloads to Cobalt Strike Beacon

November 30, 2026
reverse engineering
malware analysis
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Malpedia

For more information about the malware in this blog post see the Malpedia entry on Cobalt Strike.

URLhaus

This page lists malware URLs that are tagged with CobaltStrike.

MalwareBazaar

You can download CobaltStrike samples from this page.

From a malicious Windows shortcut to a Cobalt Strike Beacon: we dissect a multi-stage malware loader, uncover its hidden payloads, and walk through the obfuscation, unpacking, and in-memory execution techniques used at each stage.