{"id":613,"date":"2023-04-13T06:49:28","date_gmt":"2023-04-13T06:49:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dataprot.net\/?p=613"},"modified":"2023-07-14T07:10:41","modified_gmt":"2023-07-14T07:10:41","slug":"what-is-rootkit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dataprot.net\/articles\/what-is-rootkit\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is a Rootkit and How Do You Remove It?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In your time on the internet, you may have heard the term “rootkit<\/strong>” used in relation to nefarious activities<\/strong>. If you’re like most computer users, you’ve heard of it but don’t really know what it is. But what is a rootkit, exactly<\/strong>? And how do they work?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A rootkit is malware<\/strong> that hides deep within your computer system<\/strong>, allowing cybercriminals to access and control<\/strong> your machine. In this article, we’ll give you a basic rootkit definition<\/strong> and explain how this malware works<\/strong>, as well as some tips on protecting<\/strong> yourself from them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Are Rootkits?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A rootkit is a type of software that allows an attacker to gain access to and control a computer system without being detected<\/strong>. A rootkit can be used to backdoor a system<\/strong>, allowing the attacker to remotely access and control the system as if they were its legitimate owner<\/strong>. Rootkits are often used to steal sensitive information or launch attacks on other systems<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They’re called “rootkits” because they typically allow the attacker to gain root or administrator-level access to the system<\/strong>, which gives them complete control over it. The term comes from Unix and Linux OS, where the most privileged account administrator is called “root.”<\/strong> The “kit” part refers to the programs giving unlawful root or admin-level access to the device.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rootkits can be used for various purposes, including data theft, espionage, and denial-of-service attacks.<\/strong> In many cases, rootkits are used to create <\/strong>“botnets,”<\/strong> which are networks of computers that can be controlled remotely and used to launch attacks<\/a> or distribute infected files on a mass scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Makes Rootkits So Dangerous?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Rootkits are notoriously difficult to detect and remove<\/strong>, as they often disguise themselves as legitimate files or system components<\/strong>. They usually operate from within the kernel<\/strong> of the OS, allowing them to initiate commands to the PC without the user’s knowledge<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rootkits can disable security software<\/strong>, rendering themselves even harder to disable. They typically use sophisticated methods to conceal themselves, making it hard for even experienced security professionals to find and remove them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They can also persist even if you reinstall the operating system<\/strong>, which makes them even more challenging to get rid of. Once a rootkit is on your system, the attacker has complete control over it.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Types of Rootkits<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Rootkits come in many shapes and sizes, but they all have one common goal: To give the attacker access to and control over the target system.<\/strong> They are divided into five categories<\/strong>, depending on where they are hiding<\/strong> and how deeply they infect your machine.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

User Mode Rootkits<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A user mode rootkit is malware meant to conceal the existence of specific processes or applications<\/strong> from regular system users. It\u2019s designed to attack the user processes instead of the kernel or hardware.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A user mode rootkit exists as a malicious DLL file that gets injected into a legitimate process.<\/strong> Once this DLL is injected, it can be used to monitor keystrokes, disable antivirus software, give remote access to an attacker, etc. It is more difficult to detect as it exists within a legitimate process<\/strong> and runs with the same privileges as the process it has been injected into, performing any actions that process is allowed to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Detection of user mode rootkits can be done by analyzing the behavior of processes running on the system.<\/strong> If any process is found to be suspicious, then it can be further analyzed for rootkit infection. Another way of detecting user mode rootkits is by examining the system calls made by processes<\/strong>. If any process makes unusual system calls, it can be a sign of rootkit infection.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kernel Mode Rootkits<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Kernel mode rootkit attacks are extremely dangerous<\/strong> because they allow an attacker to control the entire operating system.<\/strong> They do this by altering the system call table or interrupt table<\/strong> to point to their own malicious code. This allows them to intercept system calls or interrupts and perform any actions they want.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Changing a kernel code isn\u2019t easy<\/strong>, so system instability is one of the tell-tale signs of infection.<\/strong> Other than that, you will have a hard time detecting it.<\/strong> Once the rootkit is installed, you will no longer have control over your PC.<\/strong> You will just be a user<\/strong> and be able to view what the malware permits you to see<\/strong>, including false clean security results.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kernel mode rootkits are very difficult to remove because they have complete control over the operating system.<\/strong> The only way to ensure the rootkit is gone is to format your hard drive<\/strong> and reinstall the operating system. This will delete everything on your hard drive, so make sure you have backups of your important files before you proceed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Firmware Rootkits<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Firmware rootkits work by creating a persistent image on hardware, such as a router, network card, hard drive, or the system BIOS.<\/strong> This image is then used to load and execute malicious code without the user\u2019s consent or knowledge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This type of rootkit is challenging to detect and remove<\/strong> because firmware is not usually inspected for code integrity.<\/strong> Even if your security software detects and removes it, there is a good chance that the malware will reappear as soon as you restart your computer.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just like the rest of the rootkits, they can spy on you, redirect network traffic, disable devices, take control, etc. What’s intriguing about firmware rootkits is that some hardware comes preinstalled with malware;<\/strong> don’t worry, it’s for your protection<\/strong>, or so the story goes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Absolute CompuTrace<\/strong> and Intel Active Management Technology<\/strong> use genuine rootkits<\/strong> functioning as anti-theft technology systems<\/strong> but were turned malicious under lab conditions.<\/strong> Intel fixed its exploit<\/strong> with the introduction of the Q45 chipset<\/strong>, but the exploit is still possible with older Q35 chipsets.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bootkits<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Bootkits are a type of malicious software that targets the Master Boot Record (MBR)<\/strong> located on the physical motherboard of a computer. Attaching malicious software to the MBR can allow a malicious program to be executed before the operating system is loaded.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This makes rootkit detection exceedingly difficult since all malware components exist outside the Windows system files,<\/strong> making it nearly impossible to detect using standard protection systems.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bootkit infections are on the decline <\/strong>with the increased adoption of modern operating systems and hardware that utilize Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) and Secure Boot technologies.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Virtual Rootkits<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The virtual rootkit exploits hardware virtualization features<\/strong> and hosts the victim’s operating system as a virtual machine.<\/strong> Such a setup allows the rootkit to intercept all the hardware calls<\/strong> made by the original OS. Unlike most rootkit attacks, it doesn\u2019t have to be loaded before the OS<\/strong> or make any modifications to the kernel.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the simplest terms, rootkits trap your original OS in a virtual machine<\/strong> and intercept all traffic going from it to your PC hardware and vice versa, which places the rootkit in total control of your device.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Does a Rootkit Work?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In some ways, a rootkit is similar to any other kind of malware<\/strong>. It also comes with its own trigger, installation, and self-replication mechanism,<\/strong> intending to steal, disrupt, cause financial harm, or extort funds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most rootkits work by taking advantage of vulnerabilities in the operating system<\/strong> to insert themselves into it. Once installed, they can then be used to hide other malicious software, disable security features, or take complete control of the system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rootkit malware uses a combination of two programs <\/strong>to install themselves onto victim computers: droppers<\/strong> and loaders<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The dropper will not start operating on its own<\/strong> after being downloaded. The user must activate it.<\/strong> As a result, hackers will attempt to disguise the malware<\/strong> or attach it to a legitimate executable file<\/strong> to increase the likelihood of the user running it. When the dropper is launched, it wakes the loader, which exploits system vulnerabilities and installs the rootkit.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A rootkit can be installed in several ways,<\/strong> including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n