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 to Configure Static IP on Ubuntu Settings Easily

Setting up a Static IP on Ubuntu configuration is essential for servers, remote access systems,…

4 hours ago

How to Change Ubuntu Timezone Using Terminal or GUI

Keeping the correct system clock is important for servers, desktop systems, scheduled tasks, and application…

7 hours ago

How to Perform Ubuntu Hostname Change Without Rebooting

An Ubuntu Hostname Change is a common administrative task used to rename Linux servers, desktops,…

10 hours ago

How to Add Ubuntu Swap Space for Better System Stability

Ubuntu Swap Space helps Linux systems stay responsive when physical RAM starts running low. Instead…

13 hours ago

Install TeamViewer on Ubuntu 26.04: Complete Setup Guide

If you need secure remote desktop access on Linux, learning how to Install TeamViewer on…

1 day ago

Install VirtualBox Ubuntu 26.04 for Easy VM Setup

If you want to test operating systems, build development labs, or safely run isolated environments,…

1 day ago