Enterprise Attacker Emulation and C2 Implant Development

This class focuses on the demonstration of an Open Command Channel framework called “OpenC2RAT”, and then developing, enhancing, and deploying the “OpenC2RAT” command channel software into a target environment.

As penetration testers, we all have a need to establish command and control channels in our customer environments. This can be done under the guise of an “assumed compromise” context or in a more adversarial Red Team context. The age of endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions and application whitelisting has created significant barriers to commodity/well known malware deployment for adversarial exercises.

This class focuses on the demonstration of an Open Command Channel framework called “OpenC2RAT”, and then developing, enhancing, and deploying the “OpenC2RAT” command channel software into a target environment. Students will learn about the internal details of a command channel architecture and methods to deploy in an application-whitelisted context. The class will introduce students to blocks of code written in C#, GoLang, and Python to achieve these goals. In addition, the class will introduce some ideas to deploy existing shellcode such as Cobalt Strike Beacon or Meterpreter within a programmed wrapper to enhance success in the age of modern endpoint defense. Many of the techniques introduced in this class can be used to evade modern defensive technologies.