With the China Chopper RAT, which protocol should the analyst monitor closely to detect the caidao.exe client communications with the compromised web server?

For detecting communications associated with the China Chopper Remote Access Trojan (RAT), especially between the caidao.exe client and the compromised web server, an analyst should closely monitor HTTP or HTTPS traffic.

China Chopper is known for its use of web-based shells, which typically communicate over standard web protocols (HTTP/HTTPS). These protocols are used because they are commonly allowed through firewalls and are less likely to arouse suspicion compared to other, less commonly used protocols. Monitoring and analyzing HTTP or HTTPS traffic for unusual patterns, such as irregular request methods, headers, or payloads, can help in identifying the activity related to the China Chopper RAT.

Protocols like SMTP, FTP, DNS, and SSH, while important in other contexts, are less relevant for detecting China Chopper RAT communications, as the malware primarily leverages web traffic for its operations.