null.sys - Clean (8/100) - DriverShield Analysis

Analysis of null.sys: clean verdict, risk score 8/100. 0 YARA matches. SHA256 318dd3d989ebed3f. Kernel imports, IOCTL codes, MITRE ATT&CK, and code-signing details.

null.sys - Analysis Report

DriverShield analyzed the Windows kernel driver null.sys and assigned a verdict of Clean with a composite risk score of 8/100, indicating no notable risk signals (0-29 band).

Verdict	Clean (8/100)
YARA matches	0
File size	7680 bytes
Analyzed	2026-03-22
SHA256	318dd3d989ebed3f29a4c3f6fa819f060be9c14c549b7dad8eca2b73c7932722
SHA1	fa77b97cb2f7149888e3b33b5069a4044bb8e131
MD5	2cb7c3b739d8d34b9249f7dc6c8b5c1a

Driver identity

Version resource data embedded in the null.sys PE header, as extracted by the analysis engine.

File description	NULL Driver
Product	Microsoft® Windows® Operating System
Company	Microsoft Corporation
Original filename	null.sys
Internal name	null.sys
File version	10.0.19041.1 (WinBuild.160101.0800)
Copyright	© Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

How the 8/100 score breaks down

Each component is scored 0-100 and then weighted into the composite. See the analysis methodology for the exact formula.

Component	Sub-score
Multi-engine consensus	0 / 100
YARA signature matches	0 / 100
Dangerous kernel imports	24 / 100
IOCTL dispatch surface	6 / 100
Known-vulnerable corpus	0 / 100
Code-signing state	50 / 100
Packing and entropy	0 / 100
Dynamic behaviour	0 / 100
CVE cross-reference	0 / 100

Kernel imports (4)

Kernel-mode APIs resolved from the Import Address Table of null.sys, ranked by exploitation relevance.

API	Risk	Why it matters
RtlInitUnicodeString	low	Standard kernel API - generally benign
IoDeleteDevice	low	Standard kernel API - generally benign
IoCreateDevice	low	Standard kernel API - generally benign
IofCompleteRequest	low	Standard kernel API - generally benign

IOCTL dispatch codes (2)

Control codes reachable through the driver dispatch routine. Codes tied to published exploit code are flagged, since they are the primary Bring Your Own Vulnerable Driver (BYOVD) entry points.

Code	Severity	Transfer	Description
0x002200F0	medium	METHOD_BUFFERED	FILE_DEVICE_UNKNOWN Function #60
0x0034036C	medium	METHOD_BUFFERED	FILE_DEVICE_DISK Function #219

PE sections

Section layout and Shannon entropy. High entropy in a code section is a packing or encryption indicator.

Section	Virtual size	Raw size	Entropy	Flags
.text	0x02F1	0x0400	4.51	CODE, EXEC, READ
.rdata	0x0448	0x0600	2.86	IDATA, READ
.data	0x0090	0x0200	0.28	IDATA, READ, WRITE
.pdata	0x00B4	0x0200	1.47	IDATA, READ
.idata	0x010E	0x0200	2.18	IDATA, READ
INIT	0x0184	0x0200	4.45	CODE, EXEC, READ, DISCARD
GFIDS	0x0020	0x0200	0.3	IDATA, READ, DISCARD
.rsrc	0x03E0	0x0400	3.22	IDATA, READ, DISCARD
.reloc	0x006C	0x0200	0.74	IDATA, READ, DISCARD

Exploit mitigations

Control Flow Guard	Enabled
ASLR	Enabled
DEP	Enabled
Integrity check	Not enforced
Mitigation score	80 / 100

CFG Enabled - Control Flow Guard is active - indirect calls are validated against a bitmap of valid targets at runtime.
ASLR Enabled - Address Space Layout Randomization is active - base address is randomized on each load.
DEP/NX Enabled - Data Execution Prevention is active - non-executable pages cannot be executed.
Unsigned - The driver is not digitally signed. It requires test signing mode or a bootloader exploit to load on 64-bit Windows.

MITRE ATT&CK techniques (4)

Techniques this driver could enable if loaded by an adversary.

ID	Technique	Tactic
T1543.003	Windows Service	Persistence
T1553.006	Code Signing Policy Modification	Defense Evasion
T1569.002	Service Execution	Execution
T1652	Device Driver Discovery	Discovery

Symbolic execution

Engine angr, status no_findings, 0 paths explored at a maximum depth of 0. Vulnerability classes reached: 0. Exploitable paths: 0.

Frequently asked questions about null.sys

Is null.sys safe?

Based on DriverShield static and dynamic analysis, null.sys is assessed as clean, with no notable risk signals. Its composite risk score is 8/100 (verdict: clean). Always validate findings independently before acting.

What is the risk score of null.sys?

null.sys has a DriverShield composite risk score of 8/100, placing it in the clean verdict band. SHA256: 318dd3d989ebed3f29a4c3f6fa819f060be9c14c549b7dad8eca2b73c7932722.

What is null.sys?

null.sys is a Windows kernel-mode driver (.sys) analyzed by DriverShield for vulnerabilities, BYOVD abuse potential, and malware indicators.