Window Actions
Window actions refer to a set of techniques employed by Remote Access Trojans (RATs) or Command-and-Control (C2) frameworks to manipulate application windows that have been previously enumerated regardless of whether they are currently visible to the user.
These manipulations can include:
- Changing the window title (caption)
- Resizing or repositioning the window
- Modifying its visibility (showing, hiding, updating opacity)
- Altering its state (e.g., maximized, minimized, restored)
- Closing the window or terminating the entire process
While these actions are often leveraged by unsophisticated attackers or "script kiddies" for disruptive or trolling purposes (e.g., interfering with user activities), they can also be used in more advanced attack scenarios. For example: phishing or code injection.
Featured Windows APIs
-
FindWindow
User32.dll -
PostMessage
User32.dll -
SendMessage
User32.dll -
GetWindowThreadProcessId
User32.dll -
TerminateProcess
Kernel32.dll -
SetWindowLong
User32.dll -
GetWindowLong
User32.dll -
SetLayeredWindowAttributes
User32.dll -
ShowWindow
User32.dll -
SetWindowPos
User32.dll -
SetWindowLongPtr
User32.dll -
GetActiveWindow
User32.dll
Associated Code Snippets
Id | Name | Language | Author | Published Date |
---|---|---|---|---|
25 | Message Hijacking via SetWindowLongPtr |
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DarkCoderSc | 3 months ago. |
23 | Update Window Position And Size |
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DarkCoderSc | 3 months ago. |
22 | Change Window State |
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DarkCoderSc | 3 months ago. |
21 | Show / Hide Window |
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DarkCoderSc | 3 months ago. |
20 | Update Window Opacity Level |
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DarkCoderSc | 3 months ago. |
19 | Close Window via TerminateProcess |
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DarkCoderSc | 3 months ago. |
18 | Close Window via SendMessage |
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DarkCoderSc | 3 months ago. |
17 | Close Window via PostMessage |
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DarkCoderSc | 3 months ago. |
Associated Feature
Feature Name | Dangerousness | Key Categories |
---|---|---|
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Low | Spy / Surveillance, Disruption |