Keylogger: What is it? How Does It Work?

overview of what a keylogger is and its purpose

Keyloggers are a very sneaky kind of malware that may record and collect human input on a device, including several keystrokes in succession. Keylogger software, sometimes known as a “keystroke logger,” records every keystroke you make on your keyboard. However, keyloggers also provide thieves the ability to listen in on your conversations, observe you on your system camera, or hear you via the microphone on your smartphone.

Watch this video to learn more about spyware keyloggers and keyboard loggers:

The importance of understanding how keyloggers work

Keyloggers are disseminated in many ways, but they all serve the same function. All of them save data typed on a device and send the data to a receiver. Here are a few instances of how keyloggers might proliferate by being put on devices:

A web page may have harmful code added by hackers. The keylogger is downloaded into your device automatically when you click an infected link or go to a malicious website.

Phishing emails, which are false communications made to seem real, are a tool used by hackers. The keylogger installs into your device when you open a malicious attachment or visit a malicious link.

Phishing is a sort of social engineering, a technique used to deceive individuals into disclosing private information. To get the receiver to accept an attachment and download malware, hackers may pose as a trusted contact.

In software obtained from the internet, keyloggers might be included by malicious users. Unknowingly, keylogging software is downloaded together with the program you intended to download.

Types of Keyloggers

A special kind of keylogger called “form grabbing” is designed to capture information typed into online forms. Website components called "web forms" let users input data. Some of them are used for visitor comments, while others are used for logins. Whatever you type into these forms, a form-grabbing keylogger may view it. Keyloggers that capture forms are often installed on websites rather than the machines of the hosts.

2. JavaScript

Different keyloggers capture keystrokes using various mechanisms. Keyloggers that employ JavaScript are known as "JavaScript keyloggers." They are created using the JavaScript programming language, which is injected into websites and online pages. Once injected, a JavaScript keylogger will execute programs to capture keystrokes entered by visitors to the website or page.

3. injection of memory

Memory injection is another popular kind of keylogger. Keyloggers with memory injection capabilities are made to change a user’s web browser’s memory tables. It belongs to the more complex subcategories of keyloggers. By altering the memory tables, a hacker may get over the web browser’s security measures and listen in on the user’s keyloggers.

4. Hardware

Some keyloggers are hardware-based, however, the majority are software-based. Keyloggers that use hardware often use dongles. The USB port on these dongles may be used to link them. Once connected, hardware-based keyloggers start operating on the user’s computer automatically in the background while capturing keystrokes.

Keyloggers come in a variety of varieties. Several of the most prevalent kinds include form grabbing, JavaScript, memory injection, API, and hardware, as this article has shown. The manner they each operate varies, but they are all designed to capture keystrokes, usually for nefarious reasons like data theft.

Information that Keyloggers Record

Keyloggers record each keystroke made while they are active and save the information in a file. Hackers have access to this file at a later time, or the keylogger program may send the file to the hacker automatically. Some screen recorders, often known as keyloggers, have the ability to randomly record your whole screen.

Keyloggers can detect keyboard patterns, making it simpler to find sensitive data. The keylogger may be set up to check for a specific keystroke, such the at symbol (@), if a hacker is searching for password information. The program then only alerts them when you are likely to provide a password and email username. By using this method, malevolent individuals may rapidly find sensitive information without having to go through all of your keyboard data.

How to detect a keylogger on your device

Methods to prevent keylogger installation

A keylogger may be found, but that is just the first step in staying secure. To prevent keyloggers on your devices, you must take proactive security measures:

References

Bug Zero is a bug bounty, crowdsourcing platform for security testing. The platform is the intermediatory entity that enables client organizations to publish their service endpoints so that bug hunters (security researchers / ethical hackers) registered in the platform can start testing the endpoints without any upfront charge. Bug hunters can start testing as soon as a client organization publishes a new program. Bug Zero also offers private bug bounty programs for organizations with high-security requirements.

Bug Zero is available for both hackers and organizations.

For organizations and hackers, register with Bug Zero for free, and let’s make cyberspace safe.