Speakeasy — authorized Windows user-mode emulation

Last updated: · By the BinBench editorial team · Stars and releases checked via the GitHub API
For legal, authorized and educational use only. Only analyze software you own or have written permission to examine.
Quick answer

Speakeasy (mandiant/speakeasy) emulates Windows user-mode binaries for analysis. Release v1.6.1 (2025-02-19 UTC) was the latest non-prerelease on 2026-10-24. License is MIT. Emulation is still execution of guest code — keep samples inside authorization.

On this page

Snapshot

FieldValue
LicenseMIT
Latest checkedv1.6.1 (2025-02-19 UTC)
JobWindows user-mode emulation for malware/binary analysis
Stars (order of magnitude)~2.1k on GitHub (counts change daily)
PeersQiling, Unicorn

Allowed framing

  • IR samples under ticketed authorization.
  • Lab malware corpora you may legally hold.
  • Your own Windows test builds for training.

Scope we will not cover

  • No guides to build stealers, ransomware or crypters.
  • No “emulate to bypass AV signatures” recipes aimed at attackers.
  • No sample hosting on BinBench.

Beginner path (authorized only)

  1. Snapshot an isolated analysis VM; never mount production shares.
  2. Install from official mandiant/speakeasy Releases or a reviewed PyPI pin your org accepts.
  3. Record sample hashes before emulation; save API/report outputs to the case folder.
  4. Cross-check strings/behaviors with FLOSS and capa.
  5. Prefer full Windows detonation only when policy and isolation allow it.
Which to pick
  • Use Speakeasy for authorized Windows user-mode emulation triage.
  • Pair with static tools; do not treat emulator traces as legal permission.
  • Prefer official Mandiant builds and pinned versions.

For legal, authorized and educational use only.

FAQ

What is Speakeasy?

Speakeasy is a Python-based Windows user-mode emulation framework from Mandiant aimed at malware and binary analysis without running the sample on a full Windows desktop.

Which version is cited?

v1.6.1 published 2025-02-19 UTC on mandiant/speakeasy Releases (latest non-prerelease checked 2026-10-24).

Is Speakeasy open source?

Yes. GitHub reports MIT for mandiant/speakeasy (checked 2026-10-24).

Can I emulate random internet malware on a laptop?

Only samples you are authorized to hold, inside an isolated lab with write-blocked evidence disks and clear IR policy.

Does this teach writing ransomware?

No. Analysis of authorized samples only — topic plan §4 excludes malware writing.

Sources