Build & Install
This document helps you to build and install HyperDbg
Download & Install
In order to use HyperDbg, you have two options. You can download the latest compiled binaries, or manually download the source code and compile the binaries from the source code.
If you download compiled binary files, you can skip the Build & Compile section and move to the next section, otherwise, to build HyperDbg, you need to install the following software.
Visual Studio Community, Enterprise, or Professional 2022 or later.
You can download it at: [https://www.visualstudio.com/downloads]
Windows Software Development Kit (Windows SDK)
You can download it at: [https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/downloads/windows-sdk/]
Windows Driver Kit (WDK)
You can download it at: [https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/hardware/windows-driver-kit]
HyperDbg is currently compiled with the latest version of SDK and WDK. If you encounter any problems compiling with previous versions of SDK, or WDK, you have to update it before compiling HyperDbg.
Build & Compile
First, clone the project using git or download precompiled binaries from here.
Open the visual studio and build the solution.
After building, you need to disable driver signature enforcement. It is because the current versions of HyperDbg are not digitally signed.
For this purpose, you can Disable Driver Signature Enforcement.
Starting with HyperDbg
The rest of this article focuses on the process of installing and setting up HyperDbg. If you prefer a visual guide, you can watch a corresponding video instead of reading through this section.
Choosing Environment
You can run HyperDbg on your physical machine in the VMI Mode (local debugging), but you can't pause or step through the instruction in this execution mode. If you want to thoroughly use HyperDbg as a debugger (not as a system-log generator), you should use it with a virtual machine in the Debugger Mode.
HyperDbg works best with VMware Workstation Player/Pro.
You can download VMware Workstation Player (Free Non-commercial License) at: [https://www.vmware.com/products/workstation-player/workstation-player-evaluation.html]
Running HyperDbg
Running HyperDbg has multiple stages. First, you should make sure to enable Intel VT-x from the BIOS. Next, you have to disable Driver Signature Enforcement (DSE) and turn off Virtualization Based Security (VBS). Then you can run HyperDbg.
If you've attempted all the provided instructions without success, we encourage you to initiate a 'discussion'. Outline your issue comprehensively, and we'll be more than happy to assist you in getting started with HyperDbg :)
If you want to use HyperDbg on your own computer (host), for example for local kernel debugging, you need to disable Driver Signature Enforcement (DSE) on your local machine. Disabling DSE allows you to use HyperDbg (load drivers) on your own computer.
But if you want to debug a different computer (a Guest Virtual Machine), you don't need to disable it on your own computer (host). Instead, you only need to make the necessary changes on the guest machine itself.
In short:
Disable Driver Signature Enforcement on your own computer (host) if you want to run HyperDbg on it for local kernel debugging.
When debugging a remote guest machine, make the required changes on the guest machine, without disabling Driver Signature Enforcement (DSE) on your own host computer.
Remember, when attaching to a guest virtual machine, HyperDbg does not load any drivers or hypervisors on your host machine. Instead, it functions as a simple application that connects to the guest machine through the serial port and allows you to control it. In other words, HyperDbg acts as a simple bridge between your host machine and the target guest machine. It establishes a connection through the serial port without making any modifications or loading additional software on your host machine. Instead, the drivers and hypervisor will be loaded on the target guest machine.
On the rest of this page, you'll read a detailed explanation of performing the above stages.
Check for VMX support
This check should be done in the HOST machine.
Please note that HyperDbg is currently available only for Intel processors.
If you've ever run HyperDbg and encountered the below error, it means that VT-x is disabled from your BIOS.
Enabling VT-x from BIOS is vendor-specific. Usually, if you press [F2], or [Delete], or [ESC] during the boot time, you'll enter the BIOS, and there should be an option to Support Virtualization or something like that. You should enable it from BIOS, and after that, you're good to go.
Disable Driver Signature Enforcement
The next step is disabling Driver Signature Enforcement (DSE).
HyperDbg's driver is NOT digitally signed.
In order to disable driver signature enforcement, we have plenty of options. However, we recommend the first option, which is attaching WinDbg at the boot time. It's because this way, PatchGuard will not start, and some of HyperDbg's commands like the '!syscall' or the '!sysret', which are PatchGuard detectable, will be usable. Alternatively, you can use EfiGuard to use bypass both PatchGuard and DSE without using WinDbg.
If you use other options, please keep in mind that you should be cautious as PatchGuard will start and detect some of the modifications that might be problematic.
Disabling DSE can be done in three ways (you have to choose one of them):
Attaching WinDbg at the boot time (Recommended)
Temporarily Disable DSE
Using EfiGuard
Disable DSE by Attaching WinDbg
To debug a target Virtual Machine (VM), you need to perform actions on both the guest and the host. In other words, WinDbg is running on the host machine, and you're using it to connect and debug the guest machine. This allows you to analyze and troubleshoot issues within the target VM by using WinDbg (like regular kernel mode debugging by using WinDbg) and when WinDbg attaches to the target VM, it disables both the Driver Signature Enforcement (DSE) and if it's connected from the very first start of the Windows boot, it disables PatchGuard initialization.
HyperDbg won't import (or need) anything from WinDbg. We only need it to disable DSE and PatchGuard.
If you choose this option, you can use kdnet.exe from Windows SDK, please read this documentation in order to understand how you can use kdnet. After that, performing the actions described here, you'll get a key that can be used on a remote machine to debug this machine using WinDbg, so, run the KDNET in your guest machine and get the keys and use the keys in the host machine.
When you load the HyperDbg's driver, you can close the WinDbg, and everything is handled in HyperDbg, and no need for WinDbg anymore. We want WinDbg to avoid starting PatchGuard and let us load our unsigned driver.
If your computer has the secure boot enabled, you'll see the following error.
You can disable secure boot from the BIOS. Most of the time, you should change the secure boot option to "Other OSes" that are not Windows, alternatively you disable secure boot in VMware.
That's it all. We're good to go to the next section.
Temporarily Disable DSE
If you couldn't disable the DSE and PatchGuard by using the first option, you can perform this option. The following actions should be done in the guest if you want to debug a Virtual Machine (VM).
This is the simplest way to disable driver signature enforcement on Windows 10, and 11 but bear in mind that this method will temporarily disable driver signature enforcement.
After you restart, your computer driver signature enforcement will automatically turn itself on.
To disable driver signature enforcement, do the following:
Press and hold the Shift key on your keyboard and click the Restart button.
Choose to Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings and click the Restart button.
When your computer restarts, you’ll see a list of options. Press F7 on your keyboard to select Disable driver signature enforcement.
Your computer will now restart, and you’ll be able to install unsigned drivers.
Keep in mind that this method only temporarily disables driver signature enforcement, and after a restart, you have to re-disable it again, and also it won't disable the PatchGuard, so, some of the commands that are not PatchGuard compatible won't work when you use this method.
Using EfiGuard
You can use EfiGuard to disable both Driver Signature Enforcement (DSE) and PatchGuard. This way, you don't need to use WinDbg.
For more information, please visit the main repo, or if you want to use it on VMware, you can visit here or this demo.
Disable VBS, HVCI, and Device Guard
The last step before running HyperDbg is disabling Virtualization Based Security (VBS).
Please note that to utilize HyperDbg in a nested-virtualization setup like VMware Workstation, ensure that VBS, Hyper-V is disabled on both the host and the guest machine. Although VMware Workstation and Hyper-V have become compatible, as of the document's current version, VMware Workstation's nested-virtualization feature is not supported when Hyper-V is enabled. Therefore, even if you are running two virtual machines, the primary host and the target guest debuggee must have Hyper-V disabled.
HyperDbg and VBS are both hypervisors running on ring -1. These hypervisors are not compatible, and you should disable VBS (and its sub-components like HVCI, Device Guard, etc.).
To check whether VBS is running on your system, type System Information on the start menu and click on the System Information app. After that, check whether the VBS is running or not like the below picture.
If you see "Enabled but not running" or "Not enabled", you're good to go to the next step.
If the VBS is enabled, you can disable it by typing "Core isolation" on the start menu and turning off "Memory integrity".
After that, go to "Turn Windows features on or off", and disable "Virtual Machine Platform" and "Windows Hypervisor Platform".
The above steps is enough to disable the VBS. After that, you should restart your computer so that VBS will be disabled on the next start. Once the computer started, check the System Information app again to see whether Virtualization-based security is disabled or not.
Done! The rest of this section describes other methods for disabling VBS, you don't need to follow it if you successfully disabled VBS.
If the above method didn't work for you, open Local Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc) and navigate to the following path:
Click on Turn on Virtualization Based Security.
Then choose the 'Disabled' option and click 'OK'.
After that, you should restart your computer and recheck System Information to see if it's still running or not.
There are also other options to disable VBS as described here.
Run & Test
Congratulations, you're ready to run HyperDbg.
From now on, you can either,
or visit Quick Start to start using HyperDbg.
Next Step
The OpenSecurityTraining2's "Reversing with HyperDbg (Dbg3301)" tutorial series, available on OST2's website (preferred) and YouTube is the recommended way to get started with and learn HyperDbg. It guides you through the initial steps of using HyperDbg, covering essential concepts, principles, and debugging functionalities, along with practical examples and numerous reverse engineering methods that are unique to HyperDbg.
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