Remote-access Guide

what is remote access trojan

by Howard Spinka Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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Functions of Remote Access Trojan :

  • It can be used to monitor the user by using some spyware or other key-logger.
  • It can be used to activate the webcam.
  • It can be used to record video.
  • It can be used to delete files, alter files.
  • This Remote Access Trojan can also be used to capture screenshots.

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.

Full Answer

How to create remote access trojan?

Remote Access Trojan Examples

  1. Back Orifice. Back Orifice (BO) rootkit is one of the best-known examples of a RAT. ...
  2. Sakula. Sakula, also known as Sakurel and VIPER, is another remote access trojan that first surfaced in November 2012.
  3. Sub7. Sub7, also known as SubSeven or Sub7Server, is a RAT botnet. ...
  4. PoisonIvy. ...
  5. DarkComet. ...

What to do if you get a Trojan?

What to do if You Get a Trojan Virus Tips

  1. Identify the Trojan. After recognizing a file infected with Trojan horse, it becomes easy to remove. ...
  2. Disable the function of System restore. If you forget this step, then it will restore the files you delete.
  3. Restart the Computer. When you restart, press F8 and then select safe mode to start your computer.
  4. Go to Add or Remove Programs. ...
  5. Remove extensions. ...

What is remote access and how can I use it?

Windows 10 Fall Creator Update (1709) or later

  • On the device you want to connect to, select Start and then click the Settings icon on the left.
  • Select the System group followed by the Remote Desktop item.
  • Use the slider to enable Remote Desktop.
  • It is also recommended to keep the PC awake and discoverable to facilitate connections. ...

More items...

How to detect remote access?

What Does a RAT Virus Do?

  • Get access to confidential info including usernames, passwords, social security numbers, and credit card accounts.
  • Monitor web browsers and other computer apps to get search history, emails, chat logs, etc.
  • Hijack the system webcam and record videos.
  • Monitor user activity by keystroke loggers or spyware.
  • Take screenshots on the target PC.

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Is Remote Access Trojan illegal?

Law enforcement officials say that simply possessing a remote-access tool isn't illegal. In fact, remote-access tools are often used for IT support purposes in corporate environments.

How are remote access Trojans 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.

What is a Mobile Remote Access Trojan?

A Remote Access Trojan, or RAT, is a type of malware that disguises itself as a file that's either harmless or beneficial to the user—this could be anything from a file to programs and apps. But unlike other types of malware, a RAT doesn't just steal or ruin data and files it was pre-programmed to do.

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.

Is someone using my computer remotely?

Open your Task Manager or Activity Monitor. These utilities can help you determine what is currently running on your computer. Windows – Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc. Mac – Open the Applications folder in Finder, double-click the Utilities folder, and then double-click Activity Monitor.

How can I find a hidden virus on my computer?

You can also head to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Security > Open Windows Security on Windows 10, or Settings > Privacy and Security > Windows Security > Open Windows Security on Windows 11. To perform an anti-malware scan, click “Virus & threat protection.” Click “Quick Scan” to scan your system for malware.

What is smart RAT switch app?

RAT infected Android devices can be remotely zombified by the perpetrator, allowing virtually unlimited access to photos, data and messages on the device. The Dendroid RAT provides full access to infected devices' camera and microphone, and can place calls or listen in on a user's phone conversations or text messages.

What is RAT network?

A Radio Access Technology or (RAT) is the underlying physical connection method for a radio based communication network. Many modern mobile phones support several RATs in one device such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and GSM, UMTS, LTE or 5G NR.

Can Kaspersky detect remote access Trojan?

Put a good antivirus on your smartphone. For example, Kaspersky Internet Security for Android not only finds and removes Trojans, but also blocks websites with malware and mobile subscriptions.

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 is a Trojan virus and what does it do?

A Trojan Horse Virus is a type of malware that downloads onto a computer disguised as a legitimate program. The delivery method typically sees an attacker use social engineering to hide malicious code within legitimate software to try and gain users' system access with their software.

What are the common backdoor?

7 most common application backdoorsShadowPad. ... Back Orifice. ... Android APK backdoor. ... Borland/Inprise InterBase backdoor. ... Malicious chrome and Edge extension backdoor. ... Backdoors in outdated WordPress plugins. ... Bootstrap-Sass Ruby library backdoor.

What types of ports do successful Trojan programs commonly use?

What types of ports do successful Trojan programs commonly use? A good software or hardware firewall would most likely identify traffic that's using unfamiliar ports, but Trojan programs that use common ports, such as TCP port 80 (HTTP) or UDP port 53 (DNS), are more difficult to detect.

What is data sending Trojan?

A data-sending Trojan is a kind of Trojan virus that relays sensitive information back to its owner. This type of Trojan can be used to retrieve sensitive data, including credit card information, email addresses, passwords, instant messaging contact lists, log files and so on.

What type of Trojan is specifically designed to provide remote access to the systems it is installed on?

Backdoors introduced through Trojan horses are known as remote access Trojans (RATs). Typically, a RAT makes entries in the registry or configuration files of the operating system, so that it is initialized every time the system is booted.

What is a Remote Access Trojan which is installed by SMS spoofing used for?

Remote Access Trojans are programs that provide the capability to allow covert surveillance or the ability to gain unauthorized access to a victim PC.

What is RAT software?

RAT can also stand for remote administration tool, which is software giving a user full control of a tech device remotely. With it, the user can ac...

What’s the difference between the RAT computer virus and RAT software?

As for functions, there is no difference between the two. Yet, while remote administration tool is for legit usage, RAT connotes malicious and crim...

What are the popular remote access applications?

The common remote desktop tools include but are not limited to TeamViewer, AnyDesk, Chrome Remote Desktop, ConnectWise Control, Splashtop Business...

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.

Can a RAT remote access trojan be used on a computer?

Since RAT remote access trojan will probably utilize the legitimate apps on your computer, you’d better upgrade those apps to their latest versions. Those programs include your browsers, chat apps, games, email servers, video/audio/photo/screenshot tools, work applications…

How Does a Remote Access Trojan Work?

RATS can infect computers like any other type of malware. They might be attached to an email, be hosted on a malicious website, or exploit a vulnerability in an unpatched machine.

The Threat of the RAT

Different attacks require different levels of access to a target system, and the amount of access that an attacker gains determines what they can accomplish during a cyberattack.

How to Protect Against a Remote Access Trojan

RATs are designed to hide themselves on infected machines, providing secret access to an attacker. They often accomplish this by piggybacking malicious functionality on a seemingly legitimate application. For example, a pirated video game or business application may be available for free because it has been modified to include malware.

Prevent RAT Infections with Check Point

Protecting against RAT infections requires solutions that can identify and block malware before it gains access to an organization’s systems.

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 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.

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.

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.

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 centre. Physical access to the data centre 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.

How does RAT malware work?

RAT malware works clandestinely. Hackers use the C&C server to establish connectivity and get remote, administrative control over the victim’s computer. RATs can be very dangerous if they go unnoticed. However, applying appropriate security controls and best practices can prevent hackers from compromising your computer.

How is the RAT installed on my computer?

RAT is often similar to other malware infection vectors. Hackers use various techniques to install a RAT on your computer. These techniques and methods are listed below:

Can a RAT use your internet address?

The malicious actors can also use your internet address as a front for malicious purposes. For example, viruses downloaded through a RAT have the ability to compromise other computers by impersonating you.

What Is A Remote Trojan?

A Remote Access Trojan (RAT) is a program that allows malware developers to gain full control over a user’s computer, including mouse and keyboard control, file access, and network resources.

How Is A Remote Access Trojan Executed?

An attacker uses a Trojan to execute a program file on a system. Once the user attempts to open the file, the Trojan is executed, and some dangerous actions are taken. A remote access Trojan program uses a backdoor to control the target machine with administrative privileges.

What Is The Best Remote Access Tool?

It is a tool for viewing videos with TeamViewer. With TeamViewer, remote access and shared meeting features are combined in a single secure app, and its elegant interface hides most of its complexity. For enterprise and corporate use, it is our top pick for remote access software.

What Is An Example Of A Trojan Virus?

A number of trojans are known to be malicious in government, including the Swiss MiniPanzer and MegaPanzer, as well as the German “state trojan” nicknamed R2D2. Governmentware in Germany exploits security gaps that are unknown to the general public and accesses smartphone data before it is encrypted.

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 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.

Is NetBus a legit tool?

The developer claimed he didn’t want NetBus to be used maliciously, saying it was “a legit remote admin tool,” security researcher Seth Kulakow wrote in a paper he published with the SANS Institute. “However, if you didn’t already figure it out, it is still a very nice tool to use for the other purpose,” Kulakow wrote.

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