US Justice Department Dismantles Warzone RAT; Two Arrested

The US Department of Justice (DoJ) recently announced it took down the infamous Warzone remote access trojan (RAT). Authorities dismantled the online infrastructure used to sell the RAT and seized the warzone[.]ws domain as well as three others.

Joint International Law Enforcement Effort

The disruption of Warzone RAT was a collaborative endeavor involving FBI special agents in Atlanta and Boston in conjunction with international law enforcement, mainly Europol.

The operation culminated with the arrest and indictment of two suspects in Malta and Nigeria, 27-year-old Daniel Meli and 31-year-old Prince Onyeoziri Odinakachi. The defendants were allegedly involved in the malicious operation, selling the Warzone RAT and helping others use the tool for cybercrime.

Warzone RAT Infrastructure Dismantled

“According to court documents authorizing the seizures, the Warzone RAT provided cybercriminals the ability to browse victim file systems, take screenshots, record keystrokes, steal victim usernames and passwords, and watch victims through their web cameras, all without the victims’ knowledge or permission,” reads the DoJ press release.

Charges against the two suspects include unauthorized damage to protected computers, participating in a conspiracy to commit several computer intrusions, illegally selling and advertising electronic interception devices and obtaining unauthorized access to protected computers.

Suspects Face Serious Charges

Causing unauthorized damage to protected computers could carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine “or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater.” The remaining charges also entail penalties that mirror those of the unauthorized damage to protected computers, with the exception that the maximum imprisonment term is reduced to no more than five years.

RATs Are Dangerous but Not Invincible

RATs like Warzone are extremely destructive strains of malware that can wreak havoc on compromised devices, letting criminals take over devices completely, spy on unsuspecting victims, steal data, and even involve devices in botnets for further criminal activities.

Specialized security software like Bitdefender Ultimate Security can deter RATs, viruses, worms, spyware, Trojans, zero-day exploits, ransomware, rootkits, and other digital threats. It encompasses robust detection and prevention modules that keep attackers at bay, preventing them from harming your devices and data.