Threat Actors Expand Remote Monitoring and Management Abuse With Fake RMM Malware
Proofpoint reported a new malware-as-a-service (MaaS) offering that masquerades as a legitimate remote monitoring and management (RMM) product, branding itself as TrustConnect (delivered as “TrustConnect Agent”). Proofpoint assessed with moderate confidence that the actor behind TrustConnect was also a prominent user of Redline stealer, and said it worked with intelligence partners to disrupt parts of the malware’s infrastructure; the actor quickly showed resilience by standing up another fake RMM-themed site advertising a related malware variant called DocConnect. Proofpoint highlighted that attackers continue to favor RMM-style tooling for initial access and post-compromise control because it blends into normal enterprise remote support activity.
Separately, Dark Reading summarized findings from Huntress’ 2026 Cyber Threat Report indicating a broad surge in RMM abuse as an intrusion strategy, citing a 277% year-over-year increase in malicious RMM deployments and a corresponding decline in traditional malware usage. The report described RMM tooling as attractive to threat actors for stealth, persistence, and operational efficiency, and noted commonly abused products including ConnectWise ScreenConnect, AnyDesk, Atera, NetSupport, PDQ Connect, and Splashtop, with healthcare and technology seeing the largest increases. Together, the reporting underscores both the industrialization of RMM abuse and the emergence of purpose-built “fake RMM” malware offerings designed to look like enterprise remote support software.
Timeline
Feb 18, 2026
Proofpoint publicly exposes TrustConnect fake RMM operation
Proofpoint published research describing TrustConnect as a malware-as-a-service RAT masquerading as a legitimate RMM product, sold for $300 per month in cryptocurrency. The report also linked the operator with moderate confidence to a prominent Redline stealer customer and documented follow-on use of legitimate RMM tools such as ScreenConnect, LogMeIn Resolve, and Level RMM.
Feb 17, 2026
Huntress reports major 2025 surge in attacker abuse of RMM tools
Huntress reported that abuse of legitimate remote monitoring and management tools rose 277% year over year in 2025, while use of traditional hacking tools, RATs, and malicious scripts declined. The report said attackers increasingly use RMM software as a primary command-and-control and persistence mechanism across industries.
Feb 17, 2026
TrustConnect operators pivot to DocConnect and new infrastructure
After the February 17 disruption, the operators rapidly reestablished operations on parallel infrastructure and began testing a rebranded payload called DocConnect, also referred to as "SHIELD OS v1.0," with a new C2 panel.
Feb 17, 2026
TrustConnect infrastructure is disrupted by defenders
Proofpoint and industry partners disrupted TrustConnect by taking down or otherwise disabling key website/C2 infrastructure around February 17, 2026. The trustconnectsoftware[.]com site had served as both the fake business front and centralized customer/C2 panel.
Feb 6, 2026
TrustConnect EV code-signing certificate is revoked
Proofpoint and partners, including The Cert Graveyard, succeeded in getting the Extended Validation code-signing certificate used by TrustConnect revoked. Previously signed binaries remained valid despite the revocation.
Jan 26, 2026
TrustConnect phishing campaigns begin distributing fake RMM RAT
Proofpoint observed email campaigns starting in late January 2026 that delivered signed droppers such as fake Microsoft Teams installers, using business and government-themed lures and brand impersonation to install the TrustConnect RAT.
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