R.A.T (Remote Access Tool)

⚠️ WARNING: This software is for educational purposes only. Misuse of this software may be illegal in your jurisdiction. Use responsibly and only on systems you own or have explicit permission to access.

R.A.T (Remote Access Tool) is a system that enables remote command execution on target systems. It allows operators to securely execute shell commands on remote computers, phones, or IoT devices.

Table of Contents

• Features
• Architecture
• Prerequisites
• Installation
• Usage
• Configuration
• Troubleshooting
• Contributing
• Security
• References

Features

• Remote shell command execution
• Agent auto-registration system
• Job queuing and management
• Real-time command output
• Cross-platform support
• Encrypted data exchange

Architecture

The system consists of three main components:

1. Agent: The client-side software that:

   • Runs on the target system
   • Handles command execution
   • Manages system registration
   • Reports execution results

2. Server (Command & Control):

   • Manages agent connections
   • Handles job distribution
   • Stores execution results
   • Provides API endpoints

3. Client CLI:

   • User interface for operators
   • Agent management
   • Job creation and monitoring
   • Result retrieval

System Flow

---
config:
  theme: default
  look: handDrawn
---
sequenceDiagram
        participant N1 as Client
        participant N2 as Server
        participant N3 as Agent
    Note over N1,N3: Registration phase
    N3 ->> N2: registration info: username, fullname, ip address
    N2 ->> N2: store agent info in database
    N2 ->> N3: registration response: agent_id
    N3 ->> N3: store agent_id on target computer
    Note over N1,N3: Sending command to the agent
    N1 ->> N2: send command to execute
    N2 ->> N2: create a job for the command
    N2 ->> N2: store job in database
    N2 ->> N3: send job to agent
    Note over N1,N3: Agent command execution and querying
    N3 ->> N3: execute command on traget computer
    loop Pooling
        N2 ->> N3: query for jobs update
        N3 ->> N2: return state of jobs
        N2 ->> N2: update jobs in database
    end
    N3 ->> N2: send response to the server
    Note over N1,N3: Getting info with client
    N1 ->> N2: get agents
    N2 ->> N1: return info for all agents
    N1 ->> N2: get jobs
    N2 ->> N1: return info for all jobs

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Prerequisites

• Rust toolchain (1.70 or later)
• Docker and Docker Compose
• PostgreSQL (if running without Docker)
• Make

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/yourusername/rat.git
cd rat

2. Build all components:

make build

3. Start the server (with Docker):

make docker
make compose

Alternative server setup (without Docker):

# Start PostgreSQL
# Configure environment variables (see Configuration section)
cargo run --release --bin server

4. Install the agent on target system:

cargo install --path agent

Usage

Starting the Agent

target/release/agent

Client Commands

# List all registered agents
target/release/client agents

# View all jobs
target/release/client jobs

# Execute command on specific agent
target/release/client exec --agent <AGENT_ID> "<SHELL_COMMAND>"

# Get job result
target/release/client job <JOB_ID>

Configuration

Server Configuration

The server can be configured using environment variables:

• DATABASE_URL: PostgreSQL connection string
• SERVER_PORT: HTTP server port (default: 8080)
• LOG_LEVEL: Logging level (default: info)

Agent Configuration

The agent stores its configuration in:

• Unix: ~/.rat_agent_id
• Windows: %USERPROFILE%/.rat_agent_id

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

1. Agent can't connect to server

   • Check if server is running
   • Verify network connectivity
   • Check firewall settings

2. 404 Not Found errors

   • Ensure agent is properly registered
   • Verify agent ID is correct
   • Check API endpoint URLs

3. Database connection issues

   • Verify PostgreSQL is running
   • Check connection string
   • Ensure migrations are applied

Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create your feature branch
3. Make your changes
4. Submit a pull request

Security

• All connections should be secured via HTTPS in production
• Implement proper authentication
• Use secure credential storage
• Regular security audits recommended

References

• Black Hat Rust
• Remote Access Tools
• Rust Security Guidelines