Do you know what Crimson RAT is?
Crimson RAT is a remote administration tool that our research team recommends deleting from your operating system. It was found that Crimson is actually a publicly available, free RAT that is coded in Java and is cross-platform. What does that mean? That means that anyone can employ it and exploit it. It is impossible to say how many different versions of this tool exist, but it is important to understand that malicious parties might have exploited it as well. If that happens, the remote administration tool could be used in various malicious ways that are discussed further in this report. Needless to say, our research team recommends removing Crimson RAT, and you can learn more about the process and the threat itself by reading this report. If any questions pop up in your head while reading, please share them via the comments section below and our research team will try to respond as soon as possible.
While malicious remote administration tools are not very rare – in fact, many different kinds of threats have RAT capabilities – it is not often that you hear about RATs. Some of the most infamous infections from this group include Bifrost, Blackshades, and DarkComet. Malicious RATs are capable of doing all kinds of things, which include dropping malware, removing or creating files, hijacking the mouse and keyboard, logging the information you type into login boxes, showcasing bogus security warnings, and shutting down the computer. Remote administration tools that are created to aid users are capable of downloading files, controlling the mouse, using the keyboard, and many other things, but malicious RATs take it all to the next level so that they could gain something out of the entire situation. The goals behind such RATs are very unpredictable. Some of them might want to spread malware. Others might want to steal personal data. Whatever it is, it cannot be good, which is why we recommend that all users consider deleting Crimson RAT as well.
According to our research, Crimson was first offered back in 2012. Since then, tons of different versions of this tool might have emerged. The creator of the tool informs that it is not yet fully developed and that the first complete version is expected to be available in 2018. That put aside, some version of this remote administration tool has been available since 2012, and malicious parties have been exploiting it. One version of this RAT used a file named “windows_defender.exe”. This file was placed in the %APPDATA%\Microsoft_Windows\ folder. Other versions have used files with random characters in their names, and they were placed in %APPDATA% and %ALLUSERSPROFILE% directories. This proves just how unpredictable this malware can be. Needless to say, this might make detecting and removing it quite difficult. In fact, users are most likely to discover this malware as they perform routine system scans using legitimate tools. Obviously, if scans are not performed, Crimson RAT could remain active for a long time. Was it downloaded with your permission (this might have happened if you were communicating with schemers)? If it was, you might be able to find and delete Crimson RAT yourself.
The instructions below provide you with a few basic steps that should help you remove Crimson RAT. Obviously, if you cannot identify the malicious process and the malicious file, erasing this malware manually can be very complicated. If you are unable to successfully eliminate this threat yourself, you have the option to download and use anti-malware software. You should not hesitate about using this software because, at the end of the day, it can provide you with the most useful services. Besides automatically eliminating existing malware, it also can ensure trustworthy, full-time protection against other silent and clandestine threats that might target your operating system in the future.
Remove Crimson RAT from Windows
- Launch Task Manager by tapping Ctrl+Shift+Esc.
- Click the Processes tab and identify the malicious {random name} process.
- Right-click it and select Open File Location to find the malicious {random name}.exe file.
- Select the process and click End Process.
- Right-click the file and click Delete.
- Launch RUN by tapping Win+R keys and then enter regedit.exe.
- In Registry Editor move to HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RUN.
- Right-click and Delete the {random name} value associated with the malicious .exe file.
- Empty Recycle Bin to eliminate these components completely.
- Run a full system scan to check if you have successfully delete the malicious RAT.
In non-techie terms:
Malicious versions of Crimson RAT exist, and they are classified as Trojans, or infections that can silently perform in a malicious manner. This malware could seriously jeopardize the victim’s virtual security by stealing personal data, hijacking virtual accounts or the entire operating system, downloading other malicious threats, and doing other scary things. Without a doubt, you need to delete Crimson RAT from your operating system, and it is easiest to do that with the help of trustworthy anti-malware software. Some users might be able to delete the threat using the instructions shown above, but it is advised that users employ anti-malware software capable of automated removal instead.