Once considered dangerous outlaws who should be avoided at all costs, today’s darknet hackers are in high demand from businesses, intelligence agencies, and even criminal organizations.
Understanding the dangers of using readily hackable software is becoming increasingly important in current corporate operations.
You can also ask someone to carry out a hacking test. Likewise, it is possible to pay hackers to get into your Gmail or Facebook account. If you want something like this, you can use the service of hackers.
How can people hire Darknet Hackers, and how much does it cost?
Business Insider released an article not so long ago detailing the going rates for the most popular hacking services available online. If you want to break into someone’s Gmail account, you can expect to shell out around $90, reports Business Insider.
Learning how to hack a Gmail address can be useful if you’ve forgotten your password or are just interested in the technical process. Hackers use browser configurations to hack Gmail. Likewise, they can do it through phishing attacks and keylogging software. Moreover, some may use specialized scripts.
You can hire someone to access a Facebook account for under $500. Thus, a business might employ darknet hackers to either gain access to sensitive information or boost the profile’s social standing.
The journalists’ research showed that darknet hackers could change school results for around $20 or access the Netflix account for about $1.
Hit-and-run attacks, like a distributed denial of service (DDoS) or a website defacement, and hacking classes selling for $20 are also commonplace in the darknet hacker underworld.
An attack on the website by hacking or a distributed denial of service. A darknet hacker writes, “2k euro to hack a WordPress-built website down. Pays nicely.” There are several channels via which one might get hacking services, but the Deep Web is likely to be the most engaging in meeting members of the major darknet hacker communities.
A look into the Darknet Hackers’ communities
Many security organizations study the darknet and hackers. Some of them have already identified many hacker forums on the darknet. For example, they have highlighted the hacking forum and the most recent, TheRealDeal.
Getting invited to most hacking communities requires a member to submit a membership request. Often, these organizations focus their efforts on just one type of malicious behavior. For example, one organization focuses on data theft and specializes in it. At the same time, the others may focus on malware, website hacking, or DDoS attacks.
One of the most well-known invitation-only communities is Trojanforge, a community dedicated to malware and code reversal.
A case study of Darknet Hackers communities
Starting with the report’s publication date, let’s take a look at how the Deep Web has evolved and what we can learn about how hacking communities work and the trends they follow. The experts have reported this at Dell Secure Works Counter Threat Unit (CTU). In 2013, the security experts at CTU came to know about the marketplace where personal data was being sold. They reported this in “The Underground Hacking Economy is Alive and Well.” Products sold on illicit markets and their respective prices were cataloged in the study. Researchers at Dell SecureWorks followed up on their analysis of black hat markets a year later with a report titled “Darknet Hacker Markets,” which details some interesting developments.
The researchers saw a rise in people interested in personal data. More importantly, there was a high demand for sensitive data like passports and driver’s licenses. Likewise, other personal data like social security numbers were also being sold. Some people were also asking for utility bills. It is because people can use it as a second form of authentication.
Shockingly, the markets are thriving with counterfeit documents to allow further fraud. They also warned that personal data is commonly sold and also includes new identities.
Darknet Hackers offering a Hacking tutorial
As we’ve seen, the availability of hacking tutorials is another distinctive feature of the recent development of underground darknet hacker marketplaces. This type of commodity remains an element of appeal in the hacking community.
Criminals and darknet hackers can learn how to steal credit card information, use exploit kits, and set up spam and phishing campaigns. Later, they launch hit-and-run distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) assaults from training videos. They have explained what an exploit kit, remote access Trojan (RAT), or a Crypter is. They also explain how these tools work and which is more useful. Moreover, they also tell how much you should pay for these services to darknet hackers.
The hacking groups also provide training on how to hack ATMs. Likewise, criminals can start a network of money mules. It is important to note that they are essential to any criminal enterprise’s cash-out process.
What kind of Darknet Hackers can you find on the Darknet?
Most people do not know about the darknet. Moreover, they don’t know it is a place where any illicit good or service imaginable can be purchased. It is dangerous where criminals can buy or sell drugs, guns, and false or stolen items.
Darknet uses anonymity tools for communications protocols; its darknet hacker market is thriving. Security researchers have recently noticed an uptick in the business model known as “hacking as a service.” Technical assistance for hacking tools (such as user-friendly interfaces, email, and IRC) makes them more accessible, making it possible for anyone to conduct crimes for as little as 50 euros.
Botnet rental fees range from $2 to $5 per month (depending on the number of attack sessions and the length of time each session lasts) to $100 to $200 per day (depending on the complexity of the assault) for spam and DDoS campaigns.
Users rent exploit kits for short periods of time ($500/month) because they are still marketed in their totality (with source code) but at excessive costs ($20-30k). The same method applies to zero-day exploits, which can cost several hundred thousand euros.
The structure of Darknet Hacker communities
Some darknet hacker communities in the deep web are only accessible through anonymizing protocols, while others are also reachable through the more open Clearnet. However, there are other more general communities (such as hack forums) where users discuss everything related to hacking except carding, fraud, and “financial” crimes.
Many black hacking-related communities and chat rooms can be found on the dark web, but underground markets are the most effective way to sell goods and services to the largest possible number of people. Agora, Silk Road 2.0, and The Real Deal are the three most important marketplaces for darknet hackers on the dark web.
Common services offered by Darknet Hackers
Website hacking by Darknet Hackers
This class specifically includes cyber warfare targeting online resources like web pages and services. One gang claimed they could “hack any website,” meaning they could access the site’s backend server or control panel. One more claim is that it can access databases and grab administrator passwords. It is not just websites that can be attacked, but also game servers and other parts of the internet’s infrastructure.
Debit or credit card scams by Darknet Hackers
Some businesses promote themselves on the promise of improving clients’ credit or eliminating their debt. They could have a set fee or take a cut of the money their clients save. There is a business that says it can clear people’s names off databases of loan defaulters.
Email hacking by Darknet Hackers
The typical method of hacking an email account is to obtain the password. Darknet hackers have two options for stealing sensitive client data from email accounts: either send over the password to the customer or break into the account themselves. The client may also be forwarded a copy of the victim’s emails if they choose to set up email forwarding.
Laptop or mobile Phone Hacking
This refers to the practice of illegally accessing computer systems to commit theft, malicious software installation, or other forms of cybercrime. One gang advertises the use of remote administration tools to access targets’ devices online. There is support for every major OS out there, including Windows and iOS.
Tracking of locations by Darknet Hackers
As a service, darknet hackers often offer to monitor a target’s mobile device’s IP address to determine their whereabouts. It’s possible that others will resort to using open-source intelligence to help them track down the target.
Personal attacks by Darknet Hackers
Depending on the client’s instructions, the darknet hacker may engage in financial sabotage, legal difficulty, or public slander against the target. A darknet hacker’s list of techniques includes labeling the victim as a child pornography viewer, which is deeply unsettling.
Some hacking firms advertise that they can help you get “scammer retribution” or find those responsible for your financial losses. The advertisements imply that the darknet hackers will either locate the scammer or provide the customer with personal information about the scammer or that the hackers will make the fraudster’s life unpleasant.
Altering school records
Most of the hacking services we looked at provided this function, which is surprising. It’s also among the costliest options out there. Users can pay hackers to alter their grades and attendance record in their school’s database. Both primary and higher education institutions can take advantage of this service. Alternatively, some services claim to have the answers to upcoming tests.
Customized malware by Darknet Hackers
Keyloggers, botnets, and ransomware are some unique malware options for customers. There is malware out there that claims to be completely undetectable, but one vendor claims to have solved that problem.
Hacking of social media accounts
Our most frequent encounters were with ads offering to hack or spy on social media accounts. It was unanimous that WhatsApp was the most-mentioned app. Besides the aforementioned sites, we came across indexes for social platforms (i.e., Instagram, Telegram, Reddit, and more).
The platform in question adjusts the specifics of the service. Account credentials are easily stolen and sold on sites like Facebook and Twitter, giving the buyer complete control over the victim’s account. On the other hand, WhatsApp was probably being spied on, with the purpose being to steal backups and screenshots of messages.
While neither group discloses its exact methods, malware, and social engineering are mentioned as tools, they employ when hacking social media accounts. That means the hackers must get their targets to open a compromised file or click on a suspicious link. For hackers to succeed, the victim must perform some sort of action.
DDoS attacks by Darknet Hackers
A web server, or any other target, might be subjected to a distributed denial-of-service attack by being inundated with fake requests. Typically, a botnet, or network of compromised computers that can be controlled and used as weapons from a central location, is used in this kind of attack. Spam requests are more difficult to stop if they are distributed over multiple devices.
A growing number of companies offer DDoS protection as a service. Cybercriminals bill their clients by the hour or month to keep up attacks for as long as the client requests. Sites protected by Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) services like Cloudflare may be targeted by those who charge more to launch an assault. In addition, the cost of an attack might vary widely depending on the amount of bandwidth used in its execution.
Tampering with websites
To be more specific, this class includes cyberwarfare directly targeting online resources like web pages and services. One gang claimed they could “hack any website,” meaning they could access the site’s backend server or control panel. One more claim is that it can access databases and grab administrator passwords. It is not just websites that can be attacked, but also game servers and other parts of the internet’s infrastructure.
What are the risks of using the services of Darknet Hackers?
The anonymity of the Darknet’s underground markets makes it difficult for law enforcement to monitor transactions. Regardless, there is a real possibility that people will become victims on a website that is being used as a honeypot by the police.
Buyers also risk having their packages seized by law police if they appear to include both legitimate and unlawful goods (i.e., Drugs or weapons).
Payment methods used by Darknet Hackers
Since lack of trust is such a pressing issue in the hacking groups, black market operators have used a feedback-based reputation system to help gauge the quality of goods and services being offered. To safeguard both buyers and sellers, several dark marketplaces use escrow mechanisms built on BTC MultiSignature.
Virtual currencies like Bitcoin and Litecoin are typically used for payments, while certain operators may also accept PayPal, Western Union, or other methods.
Top Darknet Hackers forums in 2022
Forums frequented by hackers are the cybercriminal equivalent of a worldwide town square. The stolen information, software exploits, and hacking guides are all available for purchase and sale there. Furthermore, certain threat actors and darknet hackers use them as an entry point to commit criminality.
Both novice and seasoned hackers and organized criminal enterprises like those behind ransomware frequent online discussion boards devoted to hacking. To better investigate and prevent cybercrime, law enforcement and security organizations regularly monitor these areas.
However, accessing and monitoring these forums is difficult because hackers and forum owners use various precautions to protect and hide their identities and reduce the likelihood of being monitored.
Exploit
The Exploit forum is a popular place for hackers to talk about various forms of cybercrime, including social engineering, security flaws, social network hacking, cryptanalysis, malware development, and cracking-related programming.
The name “Exploit” comes from the primary objective of disseminating information about how to use computer system flaws to commit hacking crimes. It’s also a marketplace for illegal software and services like hacking and carding to be bought and sold. Seventy-five thousand active threat actors have made over a million posts on Exploit, discussing and sharing hacking-related knowledge.
Nulled
Nulled is a highly popular darknet hacker forum with over 35 million posts and 4.5 million users.
Cracked software, database dumps, stolen accounts, hacking tools and vulnerabilities, and hacking lessons are all regularly updated features of the site’s content. After a cyberattack in 2016 exposed customer information, including PayPal accounts, government email addresses, passwords, purchase history, and invoices, the company found itself in the limelight of the media.
The attack was successful, but law enforcement agencies could use the vulnerability to identify hackers and cybercriminals who had signed up with Nulled. From leaks to pentesting tools and money-making scams, Nulled is one of the most known forums for such illegal content.
Dread
In 2018, after Reddit banned multiple darknet hacker market discussion forums, Dread, a Tor-based Reddit-like dark web forum, rose to prominence. In just three months after launching, it had 12,000 users.
Dread is now one of the most helpful forums available due to its abundance of expert hacking postings, comprehensive how-to tips on hacking and software, and carding. News of closing a major marketplace or selling illegal narcotics or stolen data is also commonplace. A further selling point is an anonymity it affords its users. Dread is a popular place to talk about and buy drugs and has sections dedicated to hacking.
Breached.co
As soon as the well-known and widely-used Raidforums was taken down, one of its most prominent users, pompompurin, unveiled breached.co as the official alternative for darknet hackers. Since it offered the same content and had a layout similar to Raidforums, its user base inevitably migrated there.
If you’re looking for a place where data breaches thrive, go no further than BreachedForums. To date, more than 80,000 separate datasets are stored in the site’s “Databases” section, with over 85,000 threads and over 20,000 users. Sections like “Cracking,” “Marketplace,” “Tutorials,” and “Scripts” are also available on the forum.
XSS
Among the several Russian-language hacker communities, XSS is widely regarded as the most popular and professional behind-the-firewall platform. Cross-site scripting (XSS) is a type of web security flaw that hackers can exploit to take control of a user’s session in a susceptible website’s application.
The site’s creators set intended to make a place where people could talk about exploits, zero-day vulnerabilities, malware, and breaking into networks. Among its primary content types are malware exploits, vulnerabilities, carding, access sales, and credential databases. The cybercriminal community is familiar with XSS since it is a forum for discussing illegal activities, including hacking and financial fraud. If you sign up for a premium account, you’ll have access to the forum’s hidden sections and threads. Although no actual recruitment ever took place on the forum, it has been utilized by harmful groups to find new members.
Things to consider when dealing with Darknet Hackers
Hackers on the dark web often only deal with a small number of clients, and they all use separate channels to do so. Most of the “services” advertised by various “hidden services” are, in fact, scams, and many hackers simply cannot accomplish the jobs they’ve been hired to do. Because of the trust mechanisms they employ, black marketplaces are the first choice of people looking to hire a hacker.
Since the costs of hacking services tend to be consistent throughout different online communities, we may use this fact to track the growth and development of the underground hacking scene. For instance, price changes can result from a product suddenly becoming available in the illicit economy. Due to the abundance of information following a data breach, the going rate per record may drop, while the hacker’s offer to customers of impacted businesses may remain the same.
Law enforcement and anyone who keeps tabs on criminal organizations and their activities will find this to be invaluable information.
Conclusion
This knowledge will help you avoid becoming a victim of darknet hackers. The increasing prevalence of cyber and ransomware assaults in recent years has increased the importance of these communities in detecting, preventing, and addressing hacking and data breaches. Keeping an eye on these locations also aids in spotting weaknesses and malware that could be used to attack businesses and other establishments.