#1 Reason why people get hacked: RATs

A guide to understanding Remote Administration Tools (RAT)​

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Tired of hearing, "Oh my god I got RATTED", "Don't click that link! It might be a RAT!" And didn't know what the person was talking about or you had a rough idea, but wanted a more in depth explanation? Well you have come to the right place! This will be a short guide to understanding RATs from an educational point of view. This is a guide on understanding and protecting yourself from, arguably, the most dangerous tool hackers use to gain access to your computer - RATS, which stands for Remote Administration Tools.

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What is a RAT?

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  A remote administration tool is a program wherein a operator connects to your computer remotely and has the ability to operate your computer. It as if the person is right there physically using your computer.

What can a RAT do?

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  A RAT has the ability to do many things to your computer. The operator can turn on your webcam without you even knowing. The operator can see your computer screen without you even knowing. The operator has access to all files and data on your computer. They can easily obtain the passwords to your sythe account, runescape account, facebook account, paypal account etc. The operator of the RAT even has the ability to turn on your computer's speakers and listen to you talk without you even knowing! An operator of the RAT can shut down your computer/force you off the internet/and can even stop you from controlling your mouse/keyboard. There are many, many more things the operator of a RAT can do, but you get my point; the opportunities are endless.

How does a RAT work?

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  Remote administration trojans enter your computer when you run an infected link that you may have downloaded/received from someone. They open a port on your computer and bind themselves to it. The operator of the RAT runs the program and enters your IP, allowing the trojan to receive commands and run on your computer. The operator of the RAT then has the ability to operate your computer each time they connect and do virtually anything they want without you ever knowing.

Video of a RAT in action: (Purely shown for educational purposes, I do not own nor support what is shown in this video)



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What does a RAT look like?

Below you can see the interface of a RAT program. As you can see this particular operator has many victims (termed as slaves by hackers). The operator has the ability to see whether or not his/her slaves have a webcam, which country they are form, has access to their IP, computer name, operating system and many more vulnerable pieces information.

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How can I stay Safe?

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  Do not click and download from any non reputable links. Don't download any program from YouTube claiming to be make you a billionaire on runescape/bot program etc. When you download from these links and run the program, your computer is automatically blinded to the operator's server and he/she can begin controlling your computer. Do not trust any links unless they come from a reputable source.

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  Do not accept any file requests over MSN or another instant messaging program. The operator of the RAT can make their file appear as an image or another type of file and can deceive you and manipulate you. You may think they are sending you a simple image file, but it could very well be infected.

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  Make sure you have the latest version of anti-virus software! Download AVG Anti-virus and MalwareBytes, as both are free and pretty good. It doesn't hurt to invest in a payed antivirus either. But don't be fooled. Just because you have an antivirus won't make you immune to all files. Many files can be crypted and fully undetectable by antiviruses. So you could have downloaded a file, ran it; and been infected and you'd never know as the antivirus would not pick it up.

Where can I get my very own RAT?

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  That question may have been spinning around your head while you were reading this guide. First of all never even have the intention to RAT for malicious purposes, as it is ILLEGAL. You can and will face consequences if caught. Especially when (I'm assuming) that you have very little knowledge of encryption, proxies, VPN, port forwarding etc. There are legal RATS out there - example: TeamViewer (ones in which the other party has your permission) that you can experiment with, but never even think about RAT'ing for malicious purposes. Many countries have laws stating that you cannot control another person's virtual property without their permission. After all you wouldn't want to end up like this guy.

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Thanks for reading and please don't forget to leave a comment!

 

Nice! i want to rat my friend because he hacked my facebook!

 

RAT'ing for malicious purposes is illegal. Don't do it.

 

Dam, Whats the "legal" way of getting my friends password?

 

So if someone sent me a file over MSN and its a notepad of account info in it, can it be a RAT?

 

No it can not, But if I'm right if they are good enough they can put a RAT into pictures.

 

There is no "legal" way of getting your friends password. Don't even try.

Well obviously it it was only the notepad then the answer is no, but if it had other stuff attached to it then yes. Best thing to do is have them email/PM you the info then make it into a notepad yourself.

They don't have to be GOOD at all to put their RAT into picture files, there are programs that will do that for the hacker.(Or skid in this case)

edit: If anyone is worried viewing this thread and is worried that they have a RAT on their computer feel free to PM me. I can help you remove most of the common ones(been ratted before)

 

Oh and to anyone who has an interest in using RATs for malicious purposes;

I wouldn't be surprised if you ended up like this guy

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...tthew-Anderson-spied-users-using-webcams.html

 

Nice guide, Thanks man.

 

Good guide! Didn't know much Detail into the whole "rat" thing.

Thanks

 

Great guide. Thanks, man.

Goes well into detail. You must've taken your time with this.

Appreciate it.

 

O wow...
I have not heard about Rat and now that you have brought it up, I will be on a look-out for stuff like this.

Thanks a lot for putting your time to type this out!

 

Thanks guys. Busy at the moment but when I have the time I'll add in a section on what to do if you get infected by a RAT.

 

good guide, wasn't aware that this was the way that most people got hacked

 

Thats fucked... He spied on 16 year olds and rummaged through peoples things... Da fuck.

 

This is serious, it's more then a kid that wants someone else password. If you can spy on them and controll their webcam and that shit, it means that it can get so serious.. you can destroy people's life with this shit.

Thanks for the guide, will try my best to not get infected by such a thing.

 

The scariest thing I should mention is that RATs can also be put onto your computer through Java Drive-bys and SILENT Java Drivebys (ones in which you have absolutely NO idea that you've been hit by a driveby, they cost around $1000-10,000....) Also the majority of RATs are FUD (Fully Undetectable) That means NO anti-virus can pick them up.
The saddest thing is these RAT hackers actually go around spying on people and selling slaves for money so other RAT hackers can also have access to your computer.

 

Wow I didn't know that, now this is making me paranoid wondering if I have a RAT or not

 

This is a fantastic guide Venom! I learned alot reading it

This guide is extremely well written and the format is easy on the eyes and doesn't feel like too much information and text to read. Beautiful job.

 

Yes I believe there is a way they can send encrypted files which look like something else but are really the .exe or application file which has automatic administration permissions.