What is NJRat Malware?

How Does NJRat Work?

NJRat has the ability to spread itself in a few different ways. While its primary infection vectors are phishing attacks and drive-by downloads, it also has the ability to spread itself via infected USB drives. The choice of propagation method can be set using the malware’s command and control (C2) software.

Once installed on a target system, the malware is designed to allow the attacker to remotely access and control that system.

NJRat boasts various capabilities, including:

• Keylogging
• Webcam Access
• Theft of credentials stored in browsers
• File uploads and downloads
• Process and file manipulations
• Shell command execution
• Registry modification
• Screen captures
• Viewing the desktop of the infected computer
• Theft of cryptocurrency and payment data from crypto wallet apps

NJRat also uses various techniques to evade detection on an infected system. For example, the malware will disguise itself as a critical process, making users less likely to kill it for fear of rendering their system unusable. It also actively defends itself by deactivating endpoint security software and detecting if it is running in a virtualized environment, making it more difficult for security researchers to analyze.

NJRat is also a modular malware variant with the ability to download additional code from Pastebin and similar sites. This enables the malware to expand its capabilities or to act as a dropper for other types of malware once it has established a foothold on an infected device.

How to Protect Against NJRat Malware

Malware like NJRat can use various methods to gain access to an organization’s systems and can have a wide range of potential impacts. Some of the ways that organizations can protect themselves against NJRat and other malware include the following:

• Employee Cyberawareness Training: Malware commonly uses trickery and deception to get users to install malware on their systems. Employee cybersecurity awareness training can help users to spot the warning signs of a phishing attack and respond correctly to it.
• Endpoint Security: NJRat is a known and established malware variant. An endpoint security solution should be able to identify and prevent a malware infection before it poses a real risk to an organization’s systems, data, and users.
• Patches and Updates: Malware commonly spreads by exploiting vulnerabilities in users’ browsers or other systems. Promptly applying patches and updates can help close these holes before the malware can exploit them.
• Email Scanning: Phishing emails are one of the primary methods that NJRat uses to propagate itself. Email scanning solutions can help to identify and block emails with malicious content before they reach users’ inboxes.
• Web Security: NJRat spreads via drive-by downloads, which exploit poor web security. A web security solution can identify and block malicious content before it can be downloaded to a user’s device.
• Removable Media Security: NJRat is also capable of spreading itself via USB drives. Endpoint security solutions should be able to identify and block malicious content on removable media before it can infect another device.
• Data Backups: NJRat can be used as a dropper for ransomware and other malware. Data backups can help to reduce the ransomware threat by ensuring that the organization can restore normal operations after the malware encrypts files.
• Account Security: NJRat has the ability to perform keystroke logging and steal user credentials cached by the browser. Implementing account security best practices — such as the use of multi-factor authentication (MFA) and least privilege access controls — can make it more difficult for attackers to use these compromised credentials to achieve their goals.