Exploitation Tools

LightsOut: Disabling AMSI & ETW with an Obfuscated DLL

LightsOut will generate an obfuscated DLL that will disable AMSI & ETW while trying to evade AV. This is done by randomizing all WinAPI functions used, xor encoding strings, and utilizing basic sandbox checks. Mingw-w64 is used to compile the obfuscated C code into a DLL that can be loaded into any process where AMSI or ETW are present (i.e. PowerShell).

LightsOut is designed to work on Linux systems with python3 and mingw-w64 installed. No other dependencies are required.

Features currently include:

  • XOR encoding for strings
  • WinAPI function name randomization
  • Multiple sandbox check options
  • Hardware breakpoint bypass option
 _______________________
 _______________________
|                       |
|   AMSI + ETW          |
|                       |
|        LIGHTS OUT     |
|        _______        |
|       ||     ||       |
|       ||_____||       |
|       |/    /||       |
|       /    / ||       |
|      /____/ /-'       |
|      |____|/          |
|                       |
|          @icyguider   |
|                       |
|                     RG|
`-----------------------'
usage: lightsout.py [-h] [-m <method>] [-s <option>] [-sa <value>] [-k <key>] [-o <outfile>] [-p <pid>]

Generate an obfuscated DLL that will disable AMSI & ETW

options:
  -h, --help            show this help message and exit
  -m <method>, --method <method>
                        Bypass technique (Options: patch, hwbp, remote_patch) (Default: patch)
  -s <option>, --sandbox <option>
                        Sandbox evasion technique (Options: mathsleep, username, hostname, domain) (Default: mathsleep)
  -sa <value>, --sandbox-arg <value>
                        Argument for sandbox evasion technique (Ex: WIN10CO-DESKTOP, testlab.local)
  -k <key>, --key <key>
                        Key to encode strings with (randomly generated by default)
  -o <outfile>, --outfile <outfile>
                        File to save DLL to

Remote options:
  -p <pid>, --pid <pid>
                        PID of remote process to patch

Intended Use/Opsec Considerations

This tool was designed to be used on pentests, primarily to execute malicious powershell scripts without getting blocked by AV/EDR. Because of this, the tool is very barebones and a lot can be added to improve opsec. Do not expect this tool to completely evade detection by EDR.

Usage Examples

You can transfer the output DLL to your target system and load it into powershell various ways. For example, it can be done via P/Invoke with LoadLibrary:

Or even easier, copy powershell to an arbitrary location and side load the DLL!

Varshini

Varshini is a Cyber Security expert in Threat Analysis, Vulnerability Assessment, and Research. Passionate about staying ahead of emerging Threats and Technologies.

Recent Posts

How OpenClaw Works

Imagine if you had a super-powered assistant who could automatically handle all the boring, repetitive…

6 hours ago

How to Use the Linux find Command to Locate Files Like a Pro

Managing files efficiently is a core skill for anyone working in Linux, whether you're a…

2 days ago

How to Check Open Ports in Linux Using netstat, ss, and lsof

Open ports act as communication endpoints between your Linux system and the outside world. Every…

2 days ago

Best Endpoint Monitoring Tools for 2026

Introduction In today’s cyber threat landscape, protecting endpoints such as computers, smartphones, and tablets from…

5 days ago

Best 9 Incident Response Automation Tools

Introduction In today's fast-paced cybersecurity landscape, incident response is critical to protecting businesses from cyberattacks.…

5 days ago

How AI Puts Data Security at Risk

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is changing how industries operate, automating processes, and driving new innovations. However,…

2 months ago