Ethical Hacking Essentials Practice Test

Identify the trojan that uses port number 443 to infect systems and propagate malware.

1. Silencer

2. WebEx

3. Emotet

4. Defacement trojan

The correct answer is: Emotet

The trojan known to utilize port number 443 for infection and malware propagation is Emotet. This particular malware family is notorious for leveraging encrypted communication over HTTPS to evade detection and facilitate its malicious activities. By using port 443, Emotet can often bypass traditional network defenses that monitor unencrypted traffic, making it a particularly stealthy type of trojan. Emotet originally appeared as a banking trojan but has evolved into a versatile delivery mechanism for various types of malware, including ransomware and other forms of trojans. Its ability to exploit port 443 plays a crucial role in its operation, allowing it to communicate with command and control servers securely. This makes it difficult for security systems to analyze the traffic for malicious content, thereby enhancing its effectiveness in spreading malware. In contrast, the other options do not specifically associate with the use of port 443 in the same way as Emotet does. For instance, while some may use alternative communication methods or target different types of vulnerabilities, they don’t share the same notoriety and functionality tied to this specific port.