Ethical Hacking - Trojan Attacks (2023)

FAQs

What are Trojan attacks in ethical hacking? ›

Trojans are non-replication programs; they don't reproduce their own codes by attaching themselves to other executable codes. They operate without the permissions or knowledge of the computer users. Trojans hide themselves in healthy processes.

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.

Here is one example of how a Trojan horse might be used to infect a personal computer: The victim receives an official-looking email with an attachment. The attachment contains malicious code that is executed as soon as the victim clicks on the attachment.

To successfully hack any computer, hackers program malware to work silently in the background. However, to ensure that the malware will stay hidden, hackers can use a trojan horse to conceal the malicious activities on the computer.

Spyware. Spyware is software that observes user activities, collecting sensitive data like account credentials or banking details. They send this data back to the attacker. Spyware is typically disguised as useful software, so it is generally considered as a type of trojan.

Zeus. It is probably the most popular Trojan horse. It is renowned for its ease of use, it allows cybercriminals to very easily retrieve multiple sensitive information.

Trojan viruses can not only steal your most personal information, they also put you at risk for identity theft and other serious cybercrimes.

Trojan viruses are bad because they trick users into downloading malware that harms devices in various ways. As an example, remote access Trojans (RATs) give hackers remote access to infected computers, which can result in spying, data theft, and identity theft.

There are a variety of types of Trojans, many of which can launch sophisticated and clever attacks. Here are some types to be aware of: Password-stealing Trojans—These look for saved passwords on your computer and email them to the hackers. Some can even steal passwords cached in your browser history.

Storm Worm was a Trojan horse that infected computers, sometimes turning them into zombies or bots to continue the spread of the virus and to send a huge amount of spam mail. Tip: never open a link in an email unless you know exactly what it is. By July 2007, Storm Worm was picked up in more than 200 million emails.

How common are Trojan horse attacks? ›

Trojans are one of the most common threats on the internet, affecting businesses and individuals alike. While many attacks focused on Windows or PC users in the past, a surge in Mac users has increased macOS attacks, making Apple loyalists susceptible to this security risk.

Phishing-trojans are document files that are specially-crafted to look legitimate, but serve as delivery vehicles for harmful programs.

Banking Trojans are ubiquitous examples of malware. This Trojan type targets online activities and personal information used for banking. Given the growing popularity of online banking and the carelessness of bank account holders, this is a viable approach for cyber-attackers to obtain funds quickly.

VPNs encrypt network traffic, but they can't stop you from downloading and executing Trojan software on devices.

A common symptom of Trojan infection is the sudden appearance of apps you don't recall downloading or installing. If you notice an unfamiliar app from an unverified developer in your Windows Task Manager, there's a good chance that it is malicious software installed by a Trojan.

A Trojan, or Trojan horse, is a type of malware that conceals its true content to fool a user into thinking it's a harmless file. Like the wooden horse used to sack Troy, the "payload" carried by a Trojan is unknown to the user, but it can act as a delivery vehicle for a variety of threats.

Examples of Malicious Code Attacks

Some of the better-known examples of malicious attacks include: Trojan Horse – Emotet – appears as applications a user would benefit from. Worms – Stuxnet – replicated through network computers.

Trojans are a common type of malware, which, unlike viruses, can't spread on their own. This means they either have to be downloaded manually or another malware needs to download and install them. Trojans often use the same file names as real and legitimate apps.

Gameover ZeuS

It's the same Trojan horse used to create and replicate the CryptoLocker ransomware. ZeuS can bypass centralized servers, creating independent ones to send sensitive information and prevent the victim from even tracing their stolen data.

What is a backdoor Trojan? ›

What is a Backdoor Trojan? Backdoor Trojans are malicious software programs designed to grant unwanted access for a remote attack. Remote attackers can send commands or leverage full control over a compromised computer.

Trojan Attacks

A trojan attack tricks you into downloading malware hiding a virus that then tramples all over your phone, tablet, or computer. A router virus can ride inside a trojan, waiting to sniff out vulnerable public or home Wi-Fi networks to infect.

Trojan spyware operates under the same principle. Trojan spyware looks and feels like a verifiable application and seeks to convince network users to click and load or execute the malware on their devices. Trojan malware used to be relatively easy to detect.

Cybercriminals can use so-called Trojan horse malware. You click on an attachment or download a piece of music or video infected with malware, and hey presto! – A cybercriminal can remotely control your PC's functions – including your camera and microphone and may even be able to record images and audio remotely.

Trojan. Keylogger is Malwarebytes generic detection name for applications that have the capabilities to harvest keystrokes, screenshots, network activity, and more from affected systems.

Unlike viruses, Trojan Horses do not replicate themselves, but they can be just as destructive. Trojans also open a backdoor entry to your computer, giving command to malicious actor or allowing malicious users/programs access to your system. This leads to confidential and personal information being stolen.

Emails with Malicious Attachments

Another popular attack vector is email spam with malicious attachments that infect users' computers with malware. Malicious attachments usually carry trojans that are capable of stealing passwords, banking information, and other sensitive information.

To find it, the user must initiate a full computer scan with an anti-virus scanner. This should be able to identify all threats and inform the user of the name of the malware. In addition, the scanner usually recommends the necessary measures to completely remove the Trojan and the installed malware from the system.

1. Mydoom. Considered by many to be the most dangerous computer virus in history, the Mydoom virus cost around $38 billion worth of damage in 2004. If you think in terms of today's economy, given inflation, that would amount to about $52 billion.

ILOVEYOU could -- and did -- destroy all kinds of files including photographs, audio files and documents. Affected users who didn't have backup copies lost them permanently. In March 1999, similar to ILOVEYOU, the Melissa virus also replicated itself by using Outlook address books.

Can Windows Defender remove Trojan? ›

Windows Defender cannot remove all Trojans from your device. There may be additional steps you have to take to remove them. Make sure Windows Defender performs a virus scan. Type “Windows Security” in your search box and choose the “Virus & Threat Protection” option.

A Trojan is a type of virus that can have highly destructive effects: from deleting files to destroying all the contents of the hard disk. Trojans can also capture and resend confidential data to an external address or open communication ports, allowing an intruder to control the infected computer remotely.

Yes. Just like computers, smartphones can get infected with malware. It can enter the system through infected apps, email attachments, and suspicious links.

A trojan horse, or trojan, is malware that invades your computer disguised as legitimate software. Cybercriminals use it to spy on your online activity, control your device, and steal your sensitive data. That threatens you with fraud, identity theft, and blackmail.

However, unlike a virus, it is neither able to replicate nor infect files on its own. To infiltrate a victim's device, this malware category relies on other means, such as drive-by-downloads, exploitation of vulnerabilities, download by other malicious code, or social engineering techniques.

Examples of govware Trojans include the Swiss MiniPanzer and MegaPanzer and the German "state Trojan" nicknamed R2D2. German govware works by exploiting security gaps unknown to the general public and accessing smartphone data before it becomes encrypted via other applications.

Ransomware attacks are typically carried out using a Trojan disguised as a legitimate file that the user is tricked into downloading or opening when it arrives as an email attachment. However, one high-profile example, the WannaCry worm, traveled automatically between computers without user interaction.

Backdoor malware is commonly referred to as a Trojan. A Trojan horse is a malicious computer software that masquerades as something it isn't in order to spread malware, steal data, or open a backdoor on your system. Computer Trojans, like the Trojan horse from Greek mythology, usually come with a terrible surprise.

A Virus is a malicious executable code attached to another executable file which can be harmless or can modify or delete data. Trojan Horse is a form of malware that captures some important information about a computer system or a computer network. Antivirus softwares are used for protection against viruses.

Can a Trojan hide from antivirus? ›

Stealth techniques

Rootkit technologies – that are generally employed by Trojans – can intercept and substitute system functions to make the infected file invisible to the operating system and antivirus programs. Sometimes even the registry branches – where the Trojan is registered – and other system files are hidden.

Trojan can work on the system and make all the above changes without even network. But, the Trojan can spy or steal information from your system only when network is available.

A Trojan is sometimes called a Trojan virus or a Trojan horse virus, but that's a misnomer. Viruses can execute and replicate themselves. A Trojan cannot. A user has to execute Trojans.

Performing a factory reset is the best way to get rid of viruses, spyware, and other malware. A factory reset will delete everything that wasn't originally installed on the device. This includes any viruses that infected your operating system and files.

Taking advantage of common system vulnerabilities, malicious code examples include computer viruses, worms, Trojan horses, logic bombs, spyware, adware, and backdoor programs.

Use anti-virus and anti-malware tools

An intrusion detection system (IDS) to monitor network activity and detect existing malicious code. An intrusion prevention system (IPS) to inspect incoming traffic and block any suspicious activities.

A Trojan is a type of malware with the ability to remotely access any device without the user being aware of it. Trojans may have different goals depending on the type, ranging from freezing your computer, modifying or deleting data, to collecting and sending information to a third party.

Spyware works like adware but is usually a separate program that is installed unknowingly when you install another freeware type program or application. A Trojan horse is not a virus. It is a destructive program that looks as a genuine application.

Never download or install software from a source you don't trust completely. Never open an attachment or run a program sent to you in an email from someone you don't know. Keep all software on your computer up to date with the latest patches. Make sure a Trojan antivirus is installed and running on your computer.

Malware often gets onto computers via infected attachments, manipulated text messages or bogus websites. However, there are also secret service Trojans that can be installed on the target systems remotely without the user noticing and without any interaction on the part of the targets.

How to get rid of Trojan? ›

The best way to clean up a Trojan infection is to use Malwarebytes' free trojan scanner, and then consider Malwarebytes Premium for proactive protection against future Trojan infections. Malwarebytes Premium will initiate a scan for Trojans and then remove Trojans so they can't cause further damage.