Malware: Fighting Malicious Code

All-Purpose Network Connection Gadget: Netcat

Now that we've seen how attackers start backdoors, let's discuss some of the backdoor programs themselves. Typically, attackers activate a backdoor program that gives them remote access to the machine across the network. The amazing Netcat tool, written by Hobbit for UNIX and Weld Pond for Windows, is probably the most popular program offering this kind of access across the network. Netcat is freely available in all its glory at www.atstake.com/research/tools/network_utilities/.

Although it is very often used as a backdoor, Netcat shouldn't be pigeon-holed as only a backdoor. Netcat is incredibly flexible, and can be used for all kinds of activities, both helpful and dastardly. Netcat isn't always ...