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Thread: Handling keyloggers

  1. #1
    Dissident 4dm1n brokencrow's Avatar
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    Handling keyloggers

    Any recomendations? I've seen Spybot and Nortons pick some up, others slip right by.

    I found this app a couple of days ago. Sounds interesting.

    http://www.snapfiles.com/get/kldetector.html
    “Everybody is ignorant, only on different subjects.” — Will Rogers

  2. #2
    Hi Crow,

    Don't get them in the first place. They're like any bit of malware -- if they're common and open enough you can probably detect them, if they're obscure or well-hidden you may not notice them for months/years. Not getting them in the first place is a far better option than trying to clean up afterwards.

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    During our test, it did detect changes in a keylogger log file (that we installed), but it did not find the activity suspicious enough to warn us. Advanced users may get value by inspecting the logged items, however novice users should not rely on the results.
    Simple premise I suppose, analysing log file sizes in realtime. However, some keyloggers encrypt/hide the data in files only recognizable to the keylogging application itself.

    The question is a good one though.... as @tt!tud3 said, try not to get them in the first place, but there are plenty of situations where you might not have control over that... such as shared computers... or shady roomates who have local access.

    I've often wondered if there is a program available that can quickly determine if a non-hardware based keylogger is installed (Granted, I haven't searched through the forum yet for previous articles on keyloggers...am sure there are some good suggestions)

    Might be a good tool to carry on a memory stick. Am curious if any of the rootkit detectors (Blacklight or SysInterals) would pick up a keylogger? Anyone tried?
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  4. #4
    Dissident 4dm1n brokencrow's Avatar
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    Well, I don't get them, but once in a while I end up working on a PC that does. Or I get hired to install them. Keyloggers seem to be as elusive as any of the rogue apps out there (spyware, virii, etc.). And personally, I find unwanted keyloggers the most reprehensible of the lot. I've turned up quite a few in the past, but always wondered if it was more by chance.

    Eyecre8, I did search the forum but found precious little so I started this thread. I've tried the program and it seems to work well, analyzing more than just log files. I have yet to run it against any keyloggers on a test machine, but it looks like I'll get to it this weekend once I ghost a W2K machine I got laying around. I've got a copy of the old Starr Commander somewhere, which I know uses encrypted output, so we'll see.
    “Everybody is ignorant, only on different subjects.” — Will Rogers

  5. #5
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    I think some spyware programs pick them up. I know when I run spysweeper on some computers things come up and I think MS Anti picks up some keyloggers too.

  6. #6
    Senior Member nihil's Avatar
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    I would try EWIDO and A-Squared as detectors. But it must also depend on the type of keylogger you have. If it has been physically installed and is not "phoning home" then you would have to rely on software.

    If it attempts to contact outside of its location then firewalls, IDS, and anti-malware programs should catch it.

    There is also the question of hardware keyloggers.

    It is an interesting question, as some keyloggers are legitimate software. A lot of the malware ones come as the payload of something else, so detecting and blocking that would be the way to go.

    Just my £0.02


  7. #7
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    http://www.keyghost.com is a good example of of a hardware keylogger and now that they make keyboards with them built in it could be even harder to detect hardware based keyloggers. With the regular hardware keyloggers you just have too look at the back of your computer to see if something is connected or not.

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    Without a doubt, hardware-based keyloggers are the more difficult ones to catch. Software keyloggers must report back to it's primary user in some form (e-mail, etc) and in either case, must transfer out of your system.. by which case, your firewall should pick it up (or like suggested, IDS or anti-malware program).

    Physical security is just as important sometimes, and must be monitered just as closely.
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  9. #9
    Dissident 4dm1n brokencrow's Avatar
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    He-heh, any hardware keyloggers that work on laptops?
    “Everybody is ignorant, only on different subjects.” — Will Rogers

  10. #10
    Senior Member nihil's Avatar
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    He-heh, any hardware keyloggers that work on laptops?
    Yes there are..................OK we are now going into the realms of law enforcement and the intelligence community

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