---
title: "KGB RAT Trojan Discovered: Scares Victims with «Blue Screen of Death» and Sells via Subscription"
description: "Group-IB has discovered the KGB RAT trojan, which, alongside data theft, terrifies victims with scary images and a forced «blue screen of death». The malware is sold via subscription starting at $150 per month."
date: 2026-10-17T00:49:19.476Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/kgb-rat-trojan-psychological-impact-victim
tags: [cybersecurity, malware, kgb-rat, trojan, group-ib, crypto-theft]
author: "Alexander Buran"
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# KGB RAT Trojan Discovered: Scares Victims with «Blue Screen of Death» and Sells via Subscription

![Two carved pumpkins with spooky and winking faces glow in the dark on Halloween](https://xab.info/media/2026/10/17/vredonos-kgb-rat-psihologicheskoe-vozdeystvie-nad-zhertvoy/vredonos-kgb-rat-psihologicheskoe-vozdeystvie-nad-zhertvoy-1.webp)

## Key Points

- Group-IB discovered the KGB RAT trojan, which exerts psychological pressure alongside data theft: frightening images and a forced Windows «blue screen of death».
- The malware is distributed via the MaaS model with subscriptions ranging from $150/month to $800/year; the basic tier includes remote access, keylogging, and camera/microphone access.
- The trojan monitors the clipboard and swaps crypto wallet addresses; at least one builder operator specializes in cryptocurrency theft.
- To evade detection, it uses obfuscation, a daily updated crypter, and sandbox detection; a Telegram bot notifies operators of new infections.
- The product is marketed as «legal»: fictional reviews, a claim of over 10,000 users, and training materials; sales started in late 2025, infrastructure dates back to early 2022.

Cybersecurity specialists at Group-IB have reported the discovery of the KGB RAT trojan, which stands out among similar malware not only for its classic set of data-theft functions, but also for tools designed to exert psychological pressure on the victim. According to researchers, the program displays frightening images to the user of the infected computer and forcibly triggers the Windows «blue screen of death» — a state that normally appears only during a fatal operating system crash. Thus, the attackers utilize both technical and emotional channels of impact, exploiting the victim's anxious state in parallel with extracting confidential information.

### Psychological Impact as a Built-In Feature

The developers of KGB RAT describe the psychological impact tools in the product's description as «funny settings», but it is precisely these features that make the malware notable in its class. In addition to sudden appearances of frightening visual effects and images, the trojan is capable of forcibly initiating the «blue screen of death», simulating a critical system failure. According to experts, this indicates that the program's operators purposefully use fear and victim disorientation as an additional control mechanism, complementing traditional data theft and device hijacking.

### Distribution Model and Pricing Structure

KGB RAT is distributed under the «malware-as-a-service» (MaaS) model: attackers purchase access to a builder via a subscription, which ranges from $150 per month to $800 per year. The most affordable tier includes remote desktop access, file management, webcam and microphone access, keylogging, password recovery, system persistence, and defense evasion mechanisms. Notably, the trojan monitors the clipboard contents and can substitute the user's cryptocurrency wallet addresses with those controlled by the attackers when data is pasted. More expensive packages add multi-client management, payload customization, additional stealth mechanisms, plugin support, and access to server infrastructure, while a separate network propagation module is offered for $500.

### Defense Evasion Mechanisms and Operator Notifications

The malware is designed with detection avoidance in mind: it employs obfuscation methods, a daily updated crypter to hide code, mechanisms to detect sandboxes (threat analysis environments), and tools to disable or bypass security systems. A Telegram bot notifies operators about the infection of a new computer, and a legitimate service is used to determine the victim's location. According to Group-IB, the malware builder is used by several different operators, with at least one of them specializing in cryptocurrency theft.

### Marketing «Legalization» and Timeline

A notable feature of KGB RAT is the attempt to present it as a legitimate tool: the product website features presumably fictional customer reviews, claims that the program is used by more than 10,000 IT specialists, and provides training materials, video tutorials, a disclaimer page, and a call to use the program only for lawful purposes. The malware has been sold on forums since late 2025, but traces of its infrastructure date back to early 2022, indicating a likely transition from private use to availability for a broad circle of attackers.

## Fact-Check & Sources

- [Обнаружен вредонос KGB RAT, который пытается буквально напугать жертву window-new](https://3dnews.ru/1150052/obnarugen-vredonos-kgb-rat-kotoriy-pitaetsya-bukvalno-napugat-gertvu) - Primary source: Group-IB's description of the KGB RAT trojan — psychological impact functions, MaaS model and pricing, defense evasion mechanisms, marketing legalization, and timeline (sales from late 2025, infrastructure from 2022).

## FAQ

### What is KGB RAT?

It is a trojan reported by Group-IB experts. Alongside classic data theft and remote control functions, it exerts psychological impact on the victim by showing frightening images and triggering the Windows «blue screen of death».

### How is KGB RAT distributed and how much does it cost?

Through the malware-as-a-service (MaaS) subscription model: from $150 per month to $800 per year. The basic tier includes remote access, file management, camera and microphone access, keylogging, and defense evasion mechanisms.

### How does KGB RAT differ from a regular trojan?

By its psychological impact tools: sudden frightening images and a forced «blue screen of death», which the developers describe in the product description as «funny settings».