Neptune RAT is a sophisticated remote access Trojan targeting Windows devices, capable of credential theft from over 270 applications, cryptocurrency clipping, ransomware distribution, system destruction, and live desktop monitoring. Despite its creators’ claims of being an educational tool for penetration testers, its advanced malicious features and distribution via platforms like Telegram and YouTube raise significant security concerns. The malware employs obfuscation techniques, including replacing original strings with Arabic characters, to evade detection, and possesses virtual machine detection and antivirus deactivation capabilities. For persistence, Neptune RAT copies itself to the Windows Registry and adds tasks to the Task Scheduler. Notably, it has a “system destruction” feature capable of rendering a Windows system inoperable. To mitigate risks, organizations should implement threat intelligence, restrict PowerShell script execution, configure firewalls to block connections to suspicious domains, and apply strict access controls adhering to the principle of least privilege.
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