Remote-access Guide

history of remote access trojan

by Timmy Muller Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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History. While the full history of Remote Access Trojans is unknown, these applications have been in use for a number of years to help attackers establish a foothold onto a victim PC. Well-known and long established Remote Access Trojans include the SubSeven, Back Orifice, and Poison-Ivy applications.

Full Answer

What is remote access trojan (RAT)?

Remote Access Trojan can be sent as an attachment or link. It will be sent in the form of an email and the email will appear to come from a place that is trustworthy. If the attachment gets clicked by the user, the RAT gets downloaded. This type of attack stands for the spear-phishing attack.

What is the SubSeven remote access trojan?

Because BO2K provides the option of using UDP or TCP, it is a hacker's favorite. SubSeven was the next remote access Trojan to be released. Although widely used to infect systems, it failed to gain the press that BO2K did, even though at its time of release, it was considered the most advanced program of its type.

What is the recub Trojan?

RECUB This Trojan gets its name from a UNIX tool named Remoted Encrypted Callback Unix Backdoor (RECUB). It has been ported to Windows and is designed to be used as a Trojan. It features RC4 encryption, code injection, and encrypted ICMP communication request; it can use Netcat for remote shell and is only 5.39KB.

What is remote access toolkit malware?

This type of malware is designed to allow a hacker to remotely control a target machine, providing a level of access similar to that a remote system administrator. In fact, some RATs are derived from or based upon legitimate remote administration toolkits.

How do remote access Trojans work?

What is the most powerful Trojan?

What is the advantage of remote access?

Can an attacker record video?

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What was the first remote access Trojan?

The oldest RAT was first developed in 1996 [10], however legitimate remote access tools were first created in 1989 [11]. Since then, the number of RATs has grown rapidly. The first phase was marked by home-made RATs. In these years, everyone made their own RAT, however these did not prosper and were not heavily used.

Can a Trojan give remote access?

Remote access trojans (RATs) are malware designed to allow an attacker to remotely control an infected computer. Once the RAT is running on a compromised system, the attacker can send commands to it and receive data back in response.

When was Trojan virus discovered?

Called ANIMAL, the first Trojan (although there is some debate as to whether this was a Trojan, or simply another virus) was developed by computer programmer John Walker in 1975, according to Fourmilab.

How is remote access Trojan delivered?

A remote access Trojan (RAT) is a malware program that includes a back door for administrative control over the target computer. RATs are usually downloaded invisibly with a user-requested program -- such as a game -- or sent as an email attachment.

Can an Iphone get a remote access Trojan?

The iOS Trojan is smart and spies discretely, i.e. does not drain a battery. The RCS mobile Trojans are capable of performing all kinds of spying you can expect from such a tool, including location reporting, taking photos, spying on SMS, WhatsApp and other messengers, stealing contacts and so on.

What is a backdoor Trojan?

Backdoor malware is generally classified as a Trojan. A Trojan is a malicious computer program pretending to be something it's not for the purposes of delivering malware, stealing data, or opening up a backdoor on your system.

Who invented Trojan virus?

programmer John WalkerCalled ANIMAL, the first Trojan (although there is some debate as to whether this was a Trojan, or simply another virus) was developed by computer programmer John Walker in 1975, according to Fourmilab.

Where did Trojan come from?

The story of the Trojan Horse is well-known. First mentioned in the Odyssey, it describes how Greek soldiers were able to take the city of Troy after a fruitless ten-year siege by hiding in a giant horse supposedly left as an offering to the goddess Athena.

What is history of computer virus?

The first computer virus, called "Creeper system", was an experimental self-replicating virus released in 1971. It was filling up the hard drive until a computer could not operate any further. This virus was created by BBN technologies in the US. The first computer virus for MS-DOS was "Brain" and was released in 1986.

Is TeamViewer a RAT?

The JS script then launches the malware, which installs a version of TeamViewer, a remote administration tool (RAT), modified by the attackers. As in earlier attacks, the attackers use a malicious DLL library to hide the graphical user interface in order to control the infected system without the user's knowledge.

What are the variants of remote access Trojan?

Common Remote Access TrojansSakula. Sakula is a seemingly benign software with a legitimate digital signature, yet it allows attackers complete remote administration capabilities over a machine. ... KjW0rm. ... Havex. ... Agent. ... Dark Comet. ... AlienSpy. ... Heseber BOT. ... Sub7.More items...

Which of the following is a remote Trojan?

Troya is a remote Trojan that works remotely for its creator.

How do I know if someone is accessing my computer remotely?

You can try any of these for confirmation.Way 1: Disconnect Your Computer From the Internet.Way 2. ... Way 3: Check Your Browser History on The Computer.Way 4: Check Recently Modified Files.Way 5: Check Your computer's Login Events.Way 6: Use the Task Manager to Detect Remote Access.Way 7: Check Your Firewall Settings.More items...•

Which of the following is a remote Trojan?

Troya is a remote Trojan that works remotely for its creator.

How do I remove remote malware?

1:283:06How to remove a computer virus remotely - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipYou can launch the anti-malware. Program first let's accept all the licensing terms and clickMoreYou can launch the anti-malware. Program first let's accept all the licensing terms and click continue. And then start scanning.

How can I remotely access another computer over the Internet?

Set up remote access to your computerOn your computer, open Chrome.In the address bar, enter remotedesktop.google.com/access .Under “Set up Remote Access,” click Download .Follow the onscreen directions to download and install Chrome Remote Desktop.

Remote Access Trojan - CNET Download

Remote Access Trojan free download - Remote Explorer, Remote Control PC, SoftEther VPN Client, and many more programs

What is a Remote Access Trojan (RAT)? - Proofpoint

Remote Access Trojan Definition. Malware developers code their software for a specific purpose, but to gain remote control of a user’s device is the ultimate benefit for an attacker who wants to steal data or take over a user’s computer. A Remote Access Trojan (RAT) is a tool used by malware developers to gain full access and remote control on a user’s system, including mouse and ...

[Tutorial] What’s Remote Access Trojan & How to Detect ... - MiniTool

Remote Access Trojan Examples. Since spam RAT comes into being, there have existing lots of types of it.. 1. Back Orifice. Back Orifice (BO) rootkit is one of the best-known examples of a RAT. It was made by a hacker group named the Cult of the Dead Cow (cDc) to show the security deficiencies of Microsoft’s Windows 9X series of operating systems (OS).

remote-access-trojan · GitHub Topics · GitHub

👻 RAT (Remote Access Trojan) - Silent Botnet - Full Remote Command-Line Access - Download & Execute Programs - Spread Virus' & Malware

How many remote access trojan families were there in 1996-2018?

Figure 1: Timeline of 337 well-known remote access trojan families during 1996-2018. They are ordered by the year in which they were first seen or reported by the community. The last decade clearly shows a significant growth compared with the previous 16 years.

What are the key elements of a remote access trojan?

The two key elements of any remote access trojan are the client and the server . Additional elements may include the builder, plug-ins and crypter. In this context, a server is the program installed on the victim’s device, which is configured to connect back to the attacker. The client is the program used by the attacker to monitor and control infected victims: it allows the visualization of all active victim infections, displays general information about each infection, and allows individual actions to be performed manually on each victim.

What is remote access software?

Remote access software is a type of computer program that allows an individual to have full remote control of the device on which the software is installed. In this research we distinguish between remote access tool and remote access trojan. A remote access tool refers to a type of remote access software used for benign purposes, such as TeamViewer [1] or Ammyy Admin [2], which are common tools used by billions of users worldwide. Remote access trojans, referred to in this paper as RATs, are a special type of remote access software where (i) the installation of the program is carried out without user consent, (ii) the remote control is carried out secretly, and (iii) the program hides itself in the system to avoid detection. The distinction between tools and trojans was created by defenders to make clear the difference between benign and malicious RATs, however in the underground, attackers claim all RATs are remote access tools.

What is a builder in a RAT server?

The builder is a program used to create new RAT servers with different configurations. When attackers move infrastructure quickly, launch new attacks and require flexibility, builders save time and provide agility.

Who is the operator in a RAT?

The operator (s) is the actor who purchases the software (or a licence) and carries out the attacks. This actor has the knowledge of who the target is, the possible scams or attacks that can be carried out with the software, and which characteristics are needed when purchasing a RAT.

Why do attackers use crypters?

To be more efficient and hard to detect, attackers use crypters to make the RAT servers fully undetectable (FUD). Crypters are programs that take a given program, read the code, encrypt it with a key, and automatically create a new program that contains the encrypted code and key to decrypt it. Upon execution the key will be used to automatically decrypt the original program. Crypters are used to avoid detection by anti-virus engines.

When was remote access first used?

The oldest legitimate remote access software was built in the late 1980s, when tools such as NetSupport appeared. Soon after that, in 1996, their first malicious counterparts were created. NokNok and D.I.R.T. were among the first, followed by NetBus, Back Orifice and SubSeven.

Who created NetBus?

Yet, they were “innovative and disruptive,” Valeros says. NetBus, for instance, was created by Carl-Fredrik Neikter in 1998, and its name, translated from Swedish, means “NetPrank.”

What tools did RAT authors use in the 2000s?

In the 2000s, RAT authors were not naive kids who wanted to see how far they could go. Most of them were familiar with tools such as NetBus, SubSeven or Back Orifice, and they knew exactly what they were doing.

What was the Gh0st attack?

Gh0st is notorious for its part in the GhostNet Operation uncovered in 2009, which targeted political, economic, and media organizations in more than 100 countries. The attackers quietly infiltrated computer systems connected to embassies and government offices. Even Dalai Lama’s Tibetan exile centers in India, London, and New York City were hacked. According to several research papers, the malware collected information, encrypted it, and sent it to the command-and-control server.

Why were RATs created?

RATs were first created to prank friends. Today, they’re cheaply available and used by everyone from cybercriminals to espionage groups.

When was luminosity link first seen?

Luminosity Link, first seen in 2015, infected not just a couple of machines, but possibly hundreds. “It looks like a very professional tool,” Valeros says. It had an interface that was easy to use, and the developers thought about ways to best visualize information on victims.

Who was the law professor that was targeted by NetBus?

In 1999, someone downloaded NetBus and targeted Magnus Eriksson, a law professor at Lund University in Sweden. The attacker planted 12,000 pornographic images on his computer, 3,500 of which featured child pornography. The system administrators discovered them, and the law professor lost his job.

How are Remote Access Trojans Useful to Hackers?

Attackers using remote control malware cut power to 80,000 people by remotely accessing a computer authenticated into SCADA (supervisor y control and data acquisition) machines that controlled the country’s utility infrastructure. RAT software made it possible for the attacker to access sensitive resources through bypassing the authenticated user's elevated privileges on the network. Having access to critical machines that control city resources and infrastructure is one of the biggest dangers of RAT malware.

Why do attackers use remote devices?

Instead of storing the content on their own servers and cloud devices, attackers use targeted stolen devices so that they can avoid having accounts and servers shut down for illegal content.

How to install a RAT?

An attacker must convince the user to install a RAT either by downloading malicious software from the web or running an executable from a malicious email attachment or message. RATs can also be installed using macros in Microsoft Word or Excel documents. When a user allows the macro to run on a device, the macro silently downloads RAT malware and installs it. With the RAT installed, an attacker can now remotely control the desktop, including mouse movement, mouse clicks, camera controls, keyboard actions, and any configured peripherals.

What is remote control software?

Legitimate remote-control software exists to enable an administrator to control a device remotely. For example, administrators use Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) configured on a Windows server to remotely manage a system physically located at another site such as a data center. Physical access to the data center isn’t available to administrators, so RDP gives them access to configure the server and manage it for corporate productivity.

What happens if you remove the internet from your computer?

Removing the Internet connection from the device disables remote access to your system by an attacker. After the device can no longer connect to the Internet, use your installed anti-malware program to remove it from local storage and memory. Unless you have monitoring configured on your computer, you won't know which data and files transferred to an attacker. You should always change passwords across all accounts, especially financial accounts, after removing malware from your system.

Can malware writers name processes?

For most applications and processes, you can identify any suspicious content in this window, but malware writers name processes to make them look official. If you find any suspicious executables and processes, search online to determine if the process could be a RAT or other type of malware.

How to protect yourself from remote access trojans?

Just like protecting yourself from other network malware threats, for remote access trojan protection, in general, you need to avoid downloading unknown items; keep antimalware and firewall up to date, change your usernames and passwords regularly; (for administrative perspective) block unused ports, turn off unused services, and monitor outgoing traffic.

What is a RAT trojan?

RAT trojan is typically installed on a computer without its owner’s knowledge and often as a trojan horse or payload. For example, it is usually downloaded invisibly with an email attachment, torrent files, weblinks, or a user-desired program like a game. While targeted attacks by a motivated attacker may deceive desired targets into installing RAT ...

What Does a RAT Virus Do?

Since a remote access trojan enables administrative control , it is able to do almost everything on the victim machine.

How does RAT malware work?

Once get into the victim’s machine, RAT malware will hide its harmful operations from either the victim or the antivirus or firewall and use the infected host to spread itself to other vulnerable computers to build a botnet.

Why do RATs use a randomized filename?

It is kind of difficult. RATs are covert by nature and may make use of a randomized filename or file path structure to try to prevent identification of itself. Commonly, a RAT worm virus does not show up in the lists of running programs or tasks and its actions are similar to those of legal programs.

Is Sub 7 a trojan horse?

Typically, Sub 7 allows undetected and unauthorized access. So, it is usually regarded as a trojan horse by the security industry. Sub7 worked on the Windows 9x and Windows NT family of OSes, up to and including Windows 8.1. Sub7 has not been maintained since 2014. 4.

Who created DarkComet?

5. DarkComet. DarkComet is created by Jean-Pierre Lesueur, known as DarkCoderSc, an independent programmer and computer security coder from France. Although this RAT application was developed back in 2008, it began to proliferate at the start of 2012.

What is the purpose of a Trojan?

Hard Disk Killer is an example of this type of Trojan. The sole purpose of these types of programs is to destroy files or wipe out a system. Your only warning of an infection might be that you see excessive hard drive activity or hear your hard drive making noise. However, it is most likely that by the time you realize something is wrong, your files might already have been wiped out.

What is Trojans program?

Trojans are programs that pretend to do one thing, but when loaded actually perform another more malicious act. Trojans gain their name from Homer's epic tale, The Iliad. To defeat their enemy, the Greeks built a giant wooden horse with a trapdoor in its belly. The Greeks tricked the Trojans into bringing the large wooden horse into the fortified city. However, unknown to the Trojans and under the cover of darkness, the Greeks crawled out of the wooden horse, opened the city's gate, and allowed the waiting solders in.

How do Trojans communicate?

Trojans can communicate in several different ways. Some use overt communications. These programs make no attempt to hide the transmission of data as it is moved onto or off of the victim's computer. Others use covert communications. This means that the hacker goes to lengths to hide the transmission of data to and from the victim. Many Trojans that open covert channels also function as backdoors. A backdoor is any type of program that will allow a hacker to connect to a computer without going through the normal authentication process. If a hacker can get a backdoor program loaded on an internal device, the hacker has the ability to come and go at will. Some of the programs spawn a connection on the victim's computer connecting out to the hacker. The danger of this type of attack is the traffic moving from inside out, which means from inside the organization to the outside Internet. This is typically the least restrictive, as companies are usually more concerned about what comes in the network as they are about what leaves the network.

How many types of Trojans are there?

The EC-Council groups Trojans into seven primary types, which is simply their way of organizing them. In reality, it's hard to place some Trojans into a single type, as many have more that one function. To better understand what Trojans can do, these types are outlined in the following list:

Why are Trojans dangerous?

Although not all of them make their presence known, Trojans are still dangerous because they represent a loss of confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Some common goals of Trojans are

Where are hosts.txt and memo.txt?

These are usually found in the Windows folder. The functions of these files are as follows:

Can a hacker spread malware?

After a hacker has written a Trojan, he will still need to spread it. The Internet has made this much easier than it used to be. There are a variety of ways to spread malware, including

Why are remote access Trojans important?

Remote Access Trojans fulfill an important function for hackers. Most attack vectors, like phishing, are ideal for delivering a payload to a machine but don’t provide the hacker with the ability to explore and interact with the target environment. RATs are designed to create a foothold on the target machine that provides the hacker with the necessary level of control over their target machine.

What is the next step in a phishing attack?

Once a hacker has gained initial access to a target machine, expanding and solidifying that foothold is the next logical step. In the case of a phishing attack, this involves using malware to take advantage of the access provided by the email.

Is Androrat still used?

Despite the age of the source code (last update in 2014), AndroRAT continues to be used by hackers. It includes the ability to inject its malicious code into legitimate applications, making it easy for a hacker to release a new malicious app carrying the RAT.

Do remote access Trojans exist?

Many different Remote Access Trojans exist, and some hackers will modify existing ones or develop their own to be better suited to their preferences. Different RATs are also designed for different purposes, especially with RATs geared specifically to each potential target (desktop versus mobile, Windows versus Apple and so on).

How do remote access Trojans work?

The Remote Access Trojans get themselves downloaded on a device if the victims click on any attachment in an email or from a game. It enables the attacker to get control over the device and monitor the activities or gaining remote access. This RAT makes itself undetected on the device, and they remain in the device for a longer period of time for getting data that may be confidential.

What is the most powerful Trojan?

One of the most powerful Trojans that are popularly used by the attacker or hacker is Remote Access Trojan. This is mostly used for malicious purposes. This Trojan ensures the stealthy way of accumulating data by making itself undetected. Now, these Trojans have the capacity to perform various functions that damages the victim.

What is the advantage of remote access?

Advantage of Remote Access Trojans : It can be used to capture screenshots. The attacker can activate the webcam, or they can record video. The RAT can be used to delete the files or alter files in the system. It can also be used to capture screenshots.

Can an attacker record video?

The attacker can activate the webcam, or they can record video.

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