PureRAT vs AsyncRAT vs AzaleaControl
A three-way feature comparison for security professionals evaluating remote administration and C2 solutions. PureRAT is an actively developed commercial RAT, AsyncRAT is an open-source RAT unmaintained since 2023, and AzaleaControl is a professionally architected C2 platform with extensive post-exploitation capabilities.
Feature Comparison
AzaleaControl and PureRAT are both actively developed in 2026. AsyncRAT (last version 0.5.8) has been unmaintained since 2023. PureRAT is a commercial RAT with a monolithic GUI server and plugin SDK. AsyncRAT is an open-source RAT with a plugin architecture. AzaleaControl is a headless teamserver C2 platform with a separate WPF client. The table below covers the capabilities that matter most for modern remote administration and red team operations.
| Feature | AzaleaControl | PureRAT | AsyncRAT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core & Platform | |||
| Development Status | ✓ Active development, regular updates | ✓ Active development, regular updates | ✗ Unmaintained since 2023 (v0.5.8) |
| Communication Protocol | Direct TLS or HTTPS, both are supported | TLS/SSL encrypted connection | AES-256 over TLS |
| Server Architecture | Headless console server + separate WPF Client | Monolithic .NET 4.8 GUI server with built-in management | Monolithic Windows Forms server |
| License / Cost | Commercial subscription (Basic / Pro / Enterprise), lifetime licenses available | Commercial product, paid license | Free and open-source (MIT license) |
| Remote Administration | |||
| Remote Shell (CMD / PowerShell) | ✓ Interactive shell with multi-session support | ✓ Remote CMD with PowerShell via plugin | ✓ Remote shell via plugin |
| File Explorer | ✓ Full file manager with upload, download, preview, rename, copy, move, delete, zip | ✓ Full file manager with copy, cut, paste, delete, rename, zip, unzip, upload, download | ✓ File browser with upload, download, execute, delete, rename |
| Process Explorer | ✓ List, terminate, suspend, resume, inject, steal token | ✓ List, kill, restart, delete, hide window (DisplayAffinity) | ✓ List and kill processes |
| Registry Editor | ✓ Full registry browsing, create, update, delete keys and values | ✓ Full registry editor with add/delete/rename keys, modify values | ✗ Not available |
| Remote Desktop | ✓ Real-time streaming with quality control, multi-monitor, mouse/keyboard control | ✓ Standard & DirectX remote desktop with mouse/keyboard control | ✓ Remote desktop with mouse/keyboard control |
| Webcam Capture | ✓ Live streaming with quality control, multi-camera support | ✓ Live camera stream with device selection | ✓ Webcam streaming via plugin |
| Keylogger & Clipboard | ✓ Live and offline keylogging, clipboard monitoring and sync | ✓ Live and offline keylogger, clipboard monitoring via plugin | ✓ Keylogger with clipboard capture |
| Hidden Access & Network | |||
| HVNC (Hidden Desktop) | ✓ Highly responsive hidden virtual desktop, profile cloning for Chrome, Firefox, Brave, Opera | ✓ Hidden VNC with WebGL spoofing, clipboard control, profile cloning for Chrome, Firefox, Brave, Edge, Opera, Yandex, Telegram, Discord, Steam, Ledger Live, Foxmail, Outlook | ✗ Not available |
| Hidden RDP (HRDP) | ✓ Hidden sessions, lockscreen bypass, hijack any user session | ✓ Hidden RDP via SOCKS5 proxy | ✗ Not available |
| Reverse Proxy | ✓ Full SOCKS5 CONNECT/BIND/UDP | ✓ HTTP & SOCKS5 reverse proxy | ✗ Not available |
| TCP Tunnels | ✓ Port forwarding through agent | ✗ Not available | ✗ Not available |
| Network Scanner | ✓ Scan LAN and AD for computers, shares, and services | ✗ Not available | ✗ Not available |
| Sensitive File Finder | ✓ WinDirStat-like heatmap visualization highlighting locations with interesting files | ✗ Not available | ✗ Not available (basic search by extension only) |
| AnyDesk Manager | ✓ Install AnyDesk and configure for unattended access | ✗ Not available | ✗ Not available |
| Post-Exploitation | |||
| UAC Bypass | ✓ ICMLuaUtil bypass | ✗ Not available as a live command | ✓ Basic UAC bypass via plugin |
| Privilege Escalation | ✓ Kernel exploits (CVE-2024-26229, CVE-2024-30088, CVE-2024-35250), BadPotato, GetSystem, PrivEsc scanner | ✗ Not available | ✗ Not available beyond UAC bypass |
| Credential Dumping | ✓ SAM, DPAPI, Credential Manager, DCSync, Fake Login prompt | ✗ Not available | ✗ Not available (browser password recovery only) |
| Active Directory Enumeration | ✓ Full AD object browsing, attributes, create/delete objects | ✗ Not available | ✗ Not available |
| Lateral Movement | ✓ PSExec-based lateral movement | ✗ Not available | ✗ Not available |
| Shellcode Injection | ✓ Multiple allocation/execution methods including indirect syscalls, threadless injection | ✗ Not available as a live command | ✗ Not available |
| Token Stealing | ✓ Steal token and RevertToSelf | ✗ Not available | ✗ Not available |
| Theft & Cryptocurrency | |||
| Browser Credential Stealer | ✓ Passwords, cookies, cards from 40+ browsers with Chrome V20 ABE bypass | ✗ Not available (PureLogs is a separate product) | ✗ Not available (outdated password recovery) |
| Crypto Wallet Stealer | ✓ 24 wallet applications, 83 browser extensions | ✓ Crypto extension scanning and desktop wallet enumeration via plugin | ✗ Not available |
| Crypto Clipper | ✓ 12+ currency address replacement | ✓ BTC, LTC, ETH, XMR, BCH, ADA, TRX, RVN address replacement | ✗ Not available |
| Evasion & Stealth | |||
| AMSI Bypass | ✓ Patch-based and guard page bypass | ✗ Not available | ✗ Not available |
| Windows Defender Manipulation | ✓ Tamper Protection bypass + exclusion management | ✓ Add WD exclusion (no full disable) | ✗ Not available (no tamper protection bypass) |
| Anti-VM / Anti-Sandbox | ✓ Detects VirtualBox, VMware, Hyper-V, QEMU, Parallels, sandbox indicators | ✓ Environment checks via loader (debugger, VM detection) | ✓ Basic anti-analysis checks (VM, debugger, sandboxie) |
| Event Log Evasion | ✓ API hook filters events before they reach Windows Event Log, supports Sysmon | ✗ Not available | ✗ Not available |
| Log Wiping | ✓ Event logs, prefetch, shellbags, SRU, RunMRU, recent files | ✗ Not available (delete system restore points only) | ✗ Not available |
| Rootkit | ✓ Ring3 rootkit coded from scratch in C++, hides agent file and process, protects against termination | ✗ Not available | ✗ Not available |
| .NET In-Memory Execution | ✓ Execute .NET assemblies directly in memory | ✓ Write, compile, and execute C#/VB.NET code remotely | ✓ Execute .NET code in memory via plugin |
| Utilities | |||
| Persistence | Task Scheduler, Registry Run, Explorer Policies, fileless Registry Stages | Registry Run, Startup folder, Task Scheduler, Factory Reset Survival | Registry Run, scheduled tasks |
| Payload Builder | Multiple output formats, stagers (VBS, PS, registry, HTA, LNK, shellcode, DLL, EXE), crypter, obfuscation | Client builder with PureCrypter integration, injection method selection, extension spoofing, fake message display | Basic client builder with obfuscation |
| Chat | ✓ Two-way messaging with target | ✓ Two-way instant messaging with target | ✗ Not available |
| Support | Telegram, Matrix, active community | Active vendor support (commercial product) | None — project unmaintained |
Key Advantages
PRO Post-Exploitation Depth
PureRAT covers core remote administration — file management, remote desktop, HVNC, keylogging, and a crypto clipper — but lacks almost all post-exploitation capabilities required for professional security assessments. AsyncRAT similarly covers basic remote administration but stops there. Neither can dump credentials, enumerate Active Directory, scan networks, move laterally, escalate privileges beyond basic UAC bypass, or perform shellcode injection. AzaleaControl provides a complete post-exploitation toolkit covering credential dumping (SAM, DPAPI, DCSync, Login Prompt Phishing), AD and LAN scanning, sensitive file discovery with heatmap visualization, lateral movement via PsExec, privilege escalation through kernel exploits, shellcode injection with indirect syscalls, token stealing, and AnyDesk deployment.
PRO Advanced Evasion & Stealth
AsyncRAT offers basic anti-analysis checks and has no AMSI bypass, indirect syscalls, EventLog hooking, log wiping, or rootkit. PureRAT relies on third-party crypters for initial delivery evasion. AzaleaControl incorporates evasion directly into the platform — AMSI bypass, indirect syscalls, a custom Ring3 rootkit coded from scratch in C++ that hides the agent file and process, EventLog hooking that filters Sysmon and agent events before they reach the Windows Event Log, comprehensive forensics log removal, and fileless persistence.
PRO Dual Communication Modes & Teamserver Architecture
AsyncRAT uses a monolithic Windows application combining the server and operator interface. PureRAT similarly uses a monolithic .NET GUI server. AzaleaControl supports both persistent TCP (SSL) and HTTP beaconing modes with configurable intervals and jitter, allowing operators to blend agent traffic with normal web requests. The beaconing mode uses stateless HTTP requests with burst support, making it harder for network monitoring to distinguish agent communication from legitimate web traffic. The headless teamserver architecture allows multiple operators to connect simultaneously and keeps the operator's environment isolated from the target network.
PRO Professional Architecture & Licensing
Both PureRAT and AsyncRAT are monolithic applications combining the server and client. AzaleaControl separates the C2 server (headless .NET console app) from the operator client (WPF desktop app), allowing the server to run on a remote VPS without exposing the operator's desktop environment. Data is persisted in SQLite with full repository pattern, providing reliable storage for credentials, keylogs, and agent state even during server restarts. Lifetime licenses support offline activation — no need for licensing servers to remain online.
Where PureRAT Had Strengths
CON Broad HVNC Profile Cloning
PureRAT's HVNC supports profile cloning for a wider range of applications including Telegram, Discord, Steam, Ledger Live, Foxmail, and Outlook — beyond just browser profiles. This gives PureRAT an edge in scenarios where non-browser application access is the objective.
CON All-in-One Simplicity
PureRAT's monolithic design means a single executable acts as both server and client — install and go. AzaleaControl's separate server and client components require more initial setup but provide better operational security by keeping the server headless and remote.
Where AsyncRAT Had Strengths
CON Open Source & Free
AsyncRAT is completely free and open-source under the MIT license, allowing anyone to inspect, modify, and build upon the code. However, the project is no longer actively maintained, meaning bugs and detection bypasses go unfixed. AzaleaControl is a commercial product with dedicated development resources.
CON Plugin Architecture
AsyncRAT's plugin system allows the community to develop and add new features without modifying the core client. Features like file search are implemented as separate plugins. AzaleaControl's feature set is comprehensive out of the box but does not support third-party plugins.
CON Feature Breadth for a Free Tool
For a free open-source RAT, AsyncRAT packs an impressive range of features including remote desktop, webcam streaming, keylogging, password recovery, and a .NET code executor. Its modular plugin architecture made it popular in the open-source community.
Verdict
This three-way comparison highlights the different approaches in the RAT and C2 landscape. AsyncRAT is a capable free open-source RAT with a plugin architecture, but its development has stalled and it lacks modern post-exploitation and evasion features. PureRAT is a solid commercial RAT with good fundamentals — TLS, HVNC with broad application cloning, and active development — but it lacks post-exploitation depth and advanced evasion. AzaleaControl bridges these gaps with a purpose-built C2 platform featuring credential dumping, AD and LAN scanning, sensitive file discovery, lateral movement, privilege escalation, shellcode injection with indirect syscalls, a custom Ring3 rootkit, EventLog hooking, fileless execution, AnyDesk deployment, teamserver architecture with multi-operator support, console-based interaction, and offline activation — capabilities that neither PureRAT nor AsyncRAT can match.
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