Revenge
Table of Contents
Overview
Revenge (cataloged across security vendors and threat intelligence databases under signatures including Backdoor:Win32/Revenge, Backdoor:MSIL/RevengeRAT, and RevengeRAT) is a prominent, commercial .NET remote access trojan (RAT) first released on underground hacking forums in 2016. Developed by an actor using the handle 'Revenge-Software', the tool gained widespread adoption among both cybercrime syndicates and advanced persistent threat (APT) actors due to its lightweight footprint, stability, and extensive feature set. Once executed, RevengeRAT establishes startup persistence via Windows Registry Run keys, conducts system reconnaissance, and establishes an encrypted TCP socket connection to attacker C2 servers. RevengeRAT features comprehensive surveillance capabilities, including real-time keystroke logging, desktop screen streaming, webcam and audio recording, credential dumping, and remote shell execution.
Known aliases
Threat reports may refer to this family under multiple names:
Family Pedigree & Lineage
Malware authors regularly fork and iterate upon existing codebases. Observed upstream lineage and downstream variants for this family include:
Known Derivatives & Downstream Variants: Backdoor:Msil/Revengerat.A · Revengerat V0.3
MITRE ATT&CK Techniques
This family has been observed using the following ATT&CK techniques: T1059.003 · T1056.001 · T1113 · T1125 · T1123 · T1547.001 · T1071.001 · T1082
Tactical Mitigations
Based on the techniques used by this family, consider the following defensive strategies:
- T1056.001: Implement Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) to monitor for suspicious API calls related to keystroke interception. Enforce Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) to render stolen passwords useless.
- T1059.003: Restrict execution of Windows Command Shell (cmd.exe) and block unauthorized batch scripts.
- T1071.001: Implement web filtering and SSL/TLS inspection to detect malicious command and control (C2) traffic hiding in HTTP/HTTPS.
- T1113: Monitor for frequent or unauthorized screen captures or clipboard reads. Restrict background applications from accessing desktop APIs.
- T1125: Restrict access to local camera or microphone APIs. Utilize endpoint protection that monitors hardware access.
MITRE D3FEND™ Defensive Countermeasures
Defensive techniques mapped to counter the offensive tradecraft observed in this family (via the MITRE D3FEND matrix):
| D3FEND ID | Countermeasure Name | Tactic | Countered ATT&CK | Defensive Guidance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
D3-MFA | Multi-factor Authentication | Harden | T1056.001 | Enforce FIDO2 / WebAuthn physical tokens to render keystroke-intercepted passwords useless. |
D3-PBA | Process Spawn Analysis | Detect | T1059.003 | Inspect command-line arguments and anomalous parent-child relationships spawning from cmd.exe. |
D3-WAF | Web Content Filtering & Inspection | Filter | T1071.001 | Block newly registered domains (NRDs) and inspect HTTP Host and URI headers for known C2 profiles. |
D3-SDA | System Discovery Analysis | Detect | T1082 | Alert on rapid enumerations of systeminfo, hostname, and registry hardware trees in short intervals. |
D3-SD | Screen Capture Detection | Detect | T1113 | Monitor desktop graphics API calls (BitBlt, GetDC) triggered by non-standard background threads. |
D3-HAC | Hardware Device Access Control | Isolate | T1125 | Enforce Group Policy hardware access restrictions on integrated webcams and microphones. |
D3-RPM | Registry Persistence Monitoring | Detect | T1547.001 | Audit and restrict write privileges to user and machine-level Registry Run/RunOnce keys using Endpoint Privilege Management. |
Tiered Detection Rules (Cisco CAIRN Model)
Modern threat detection requires multi-layered rule engineering. We classify detections into three operational tiers based on signal fidelity:
Tier 1 Primitive Artifact Rule (Fast Triage)
Matches raw strings and file markers. Vulnerable to binary repacking and simple obfuscation.
rule MALWARE_WIN_REVENGE_T1_ARTIFACT {
meta:
description = "Tier 1 Primitive Artifact: Raw string matches for Revenge"
tier = "T1 - Primitive Artifact"
confidence = "Low-Medium (Fast Triage)"
author = "SystemHelpdesk Threat Research Desk"
date = "2026-10-14"
strings:
$s1 = "revenge" ascii wide nocase
$s2 = "backdoor:win32/revenge" ascii wide nocase
$s3 = "backdoor:msil/revengerat" ascii wide nocase
$s4 = "revengerat" ascii wide nocase
$s5 = "win32/revenge" ascii wide nocase
$s6 = "trojan:msil/revengerat" ascii wide nocase
condition:
uint16(0) == 0x5a4d and any of them
}Tier 2 Behavioral Context Rule (Process Chains & Sigma)
Tracks parent-child process anomalies and suspicious scripting telemetry. Resilient against file renames.
title: SystemHelpDesk Detection - Revenge (Backdoor) Execution & Triage
id: b024edac-643f-5ccf-b670-8177c52337fa
status: production
description: Detects execution, defense evasion, and persistence behaviors associated
with the Revenge malware family. Detects proxy execution, reflective DLL loading,
and remote command injection associated with modular enterprise backdoors.
references:
- https://malware-families-catalog.systemhelpdesk.com/families/revenge
- https://malware-families-catalog.systemhelpdesk.com/defensive/backdoor-rat-protection
- https://malware-families-catalog.systemhelpdesk.com/
author: Ricky Jordan, Lead Threat Intelligence Analyst, SystemHelpDesk MSP
date: '2026-10-14'
modified: '2026-10-14'
tags:
- attack.backdoor
- author.ricky-jordan
- source.systemhelpdesk-mfc
- attack.t1059_003
- attack.t1056_001
- attack.t1113
- attack.t1125
- attack.t1123
logsource:
category: process_creation
product: windows
detection:
selection_process:
Image|endswith:
- \powershell.exe
- \cmd.exe
- \rundll32.exe
- \regsvr32.exe
CommandLine|contains:
- DownloadString
- IEX(
- '/s /n /u /i:'
- sc create
- start-process
condition: selection_process
falsepositives:
- Legitimate enterprise administrative scripts during approved change windows
- Authorized IT software deployment utilities and backup management agents
level: highTier 3 Attribution Fingerprint Rule (High Fidelity)
Deep signature matching distinctive operational fingerprints and payload characteristics.
rule MALWARE_WIN_REVENGE_T3_ATTRIBUTION {
meta:
description = "Tier 3 Attribution Fingerprint: Heuristic detection for Revenge tradecraft"
tier = "T3 - Attribution Fingerprint"
confidence = "High (Confirmed Family Signature)"
author = "SystemHelpdesk Threat Research Desk"
date = "2026-10-14"
strings:
// Core family identifier & heuristic payload signatures
$attrib_str = "revenge" ascii wide nocase
$pe_magic = "MZ" ascii
$net_marker = "http" ascii nocase
condition:
uint16(0) == 0x5a4d and ($attrib_str and $net_marker) and filesize < 15MB
}References & External Analysis
- MITRE ATT&CK Software Profile - Revenge RAT (S0379)
- Microsoft Defender Threat Encyclopedia - Backdoor:MSIL/RevengeRAT
- Search "revenge" on VirusTotal (External Analysis)
- Search "revenge" on Any.Run (Sandbox Sandbox)
- Search "revenge" on MalwareBazaar (Malware Samples)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Backdoor:Win32/Revenge (RevengeRAT)?
RevengeRAT is a commercial .NET remote access trojan providing attackers with complete interactive control over compromised endpoints.
What surveillance capabilities does RevengeRAT possess?
It includes real-time keystroke logging, screen capture, microphone/webcam recording, and browser credential theft.
How do attackers distribute RevengeRAT?
Through targeted spearphishing emails with weaponized office documents, ISO/VHD images, and malicious VBS/PowerShell loaders.
How does RevengeRAT maintain persistence?
It adds autostart values to Windows Registry Run keys and can create scheduled tasks disguised as system services.
How can defenders identify RevengeRAT on a network?
Monitor for anomalous outbound TCP connections from .NET processes and inspect memory for known RevengeRAT C2 protocol headers.
How do I remove the Revenge Backdoor from Windows?
Manual removal of Revenge is highly discouraged as it may leave persistence mechanisms intact. We recommend disconnecting the device from the internet and utilizing a professional incident response service or enterprise-grade EDR software to conduct a full forensic sweep.
Is Revenge a virus or a Backdoor?
Revenge is classified as a Backdoor. Unlike traditional viruses that infect files, modern malware like Revenge typically operates as a standalone payload designed to compromise systems, steal data, or deploy secondary stage implants.
What are the main symptoms of a Revenge infection?
Symptoms of Revenge can include unexpected system slowness, unauthorized outbound network traffic to unknown IP addresses, disabled security software, and suspicious background processes running from AppData or Temp directories.
Protect Your Network Against Backdoors
Want to prevent Revenge and similar threats from compromising your organization? Read our comprehensive defensive guide: Backdoor & RAT Protection for Businesses.
📣 Threat Intel Correction or Update?
Notice an outdated IOC, unlisted alias, or disputed attribution? Threat researchers are invited to propose an update on GitHub or contact the SystemHelpDesk research desk. All community revisions are credited in our public CHANGELOG.
Machine-readable
Get this profile as JSON: https://malware-families-catalog.systemhelpdesk.com/api/revenge.json
Ecosystem & Interactive Environments
This profile is part of the Malware Families Catalog, a public dataset of 2,899 malware families. The catalog is also published across our ecosystem: Hugging Face, Kaggle, Zenodo, Replit, StackBlitz, CodeSandbox, and CodePen.