How do logs work in carding

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Carding is an illegal activity involving the use of stolen or counterfeit banking data (such as credit card numbers) to commit financial fraud. Logs play an important role in carding, both from the perspective of the attackers and from the perspective of law enforcement and cybersecurity experts. Let's look at how logs are used in carding and what tools are used to analyze them.

1. What are logs in the context of carding?​

Logs in carding are records of actions that occur during an attack on security systems, hacking devices, or using stolen data. These records can be:
  • System logs: Record events on victims' devices (e.g. ATMs, POS terminals).
  • Network logs: Record network traffic that may contain data about the transfer of stolen information.
  • Application logs: Track actions within applications (e.g. online banking, payment gateways).

2. How do attackers use logs?​

Carding attackers often use logs to:
  • Data collection: Logs may contain information about banking transactions, IP addresses, accounts and other sensitive data.
  • Analysis of attack success: Logs help track which methods work and which do not.
  • Bypassing protection: Log analysis allows you to understand how the system detects anomalies in order to adapt the attack.

Examples of using logs:​

  • Skimming: Skimmer logs store card magnetic stripe data, which is then used to create duplicates.
  • Phishing: Phishing site logs record the data entered by victims (logins, passwords, CVV codes).
  • Bruteforce: Bruteforce attack logs show which combinations were successfully tested.

3. How do law enforcement and cybersecurity experts use logs?​

Law enforcement and cybersecurity experts analyze logs to detect and prevent carding. The main tasks are:

A. Detecting attacks​

  • Network log analysis: Search for suspicious traffic (e.g. requests to known malicious servers).
  • Monitor system logs: Detect unusual activity (e.g. multiple login attempts).

B. Identification of intruders​

  • Logs may contain IP addresses, timestamps, and other data that can help link an attack to a specific person or group.

C. Reconstruction of attacks​

  • Tracing the sequence of events: from the initial hack to the withdrawal of funds.

D. Collection of evidence​

  • Logs are an important piece of evidence in court. They can prove the fact of an attack and the damage.

4. Where are logs collected in carding?​

A. Victims' devices​

  • ATMs: Skimmer or shimming device logs.
  • POS terminals: Transaction logs.
  • Victims' computers: Browser, antivirus or system logs.

B. Attacker servers​

  • Attackers often store the collected data in logs on their servers or in cloud storage.

C. Data Selling Platforms​

  • On black markets or forums, logs can be used to demonstrate the "quality" of the stolen data.

5. Log Analysis Tools​

A. For intruders​

  • Own scripts: For filtering and analyzing logs.
  • Programs for working with dumps: For example, for analyzing Track 1/Track 2 data from magnetic stripes of cards.

B. For Cybersecurity Experts​

  • Wireshark: Network Traffic Analysis.
  • Splunk: Collect and analyze large volumes of logs.
  • ELK Stack: For centralized log storage and visualization.
  • Autopsy: Digital forensics for analyzing hard drive images.

6. Examples of log analysis in carding​

A. Skimmer log analysis​

Skimmer logs may contain data such as:
Code:
Track 1: %B1234567890123456^DOE/JOHN^250110100000000000000000000?
Track 2: ;1234567890123456=25011010000000000000?

This data can be used to create duplicate maps.

B. Analysis of phishing logs​

Phishing site logs may look like this:
Code:
2025-10-01 14:23:45 - User entered card number: 4111111111111111
2025-10-01 14:23:46 - User entered CVV: 123
2025-10-01 14:23:47 - User entered expiration date: 10/27

C. Network Log Analysis​

Network logs may show suspicious requests to payment gateways:
Code:
POST /payment HTTP/1.1
Host: example.com
Content-Type: application/json
{"card_number":"4111111111111111","cvv":"123","expiry":"10/25"}

7. Countermeasures​

A. Log protection​

  • Encrypt logs to prevent access by intruders.
  • Regular backup of logs.

B. Activity Monitoring​

  • Using IDS/IPS for anomaly detection.
  • Setting up alerts for suspicious events.

C. User Training​

  • Information about phishing, skimming and other attack methods.

8. Conclusion​

Logs play a key role in carding for both attackers and cybersecurity experts. Attackers use logs to collect data and analyze the success of attacks, while experts analyze logs to identify incidents, reconstruct attacks, and collect evidence. It is important to protect logs and use modern tools to analyze them to minimize the risks of carding.

Answer: Logs in carding are used to collect data, analyze attacks, and reconstruct events. Attackers and cybersecurity experts use different tools to work with logs. Log protection and analysis are important measures to counter carding.
 

What are logs in carding?​

In the context of carding, logs are data collected through various tools and methods used by fraudsters to manage and exploit stolen bank card data. These logs contain important information that helps fraudsters in their activities.

1. Log composition​

Logs may include the following elements:
  • Transaction data: Information about transactions carried out, including amounts, dates and times.
  • IP addresses: Addresses from which transactions were made, which can help analyze user behavior.
  • Cookies and autocomplete: Data that can be used to automate the entry of information when making purchases.
  • Screenshots: Visual data that can help scammers understand what the interface of the site they are working on looks like.

2. Using logs​

Logs play a key role in carding, as they allow scammers to:
  • Analyze successful and unsuccessful transactions: This helps them optimize their methods and choose more effective strategies.
  • Manage multiple accounts: Logs allow scammers to easily switch between different accounts while remaining anonymous.
  • Bypass security systems: By studying logs, scammers can identify vulnerabilities in security systems and exploit them for their own purposes.

3. Types of logs​

There are several categories of logs that can be used in carding:
  • High quality logs: Contain complete transaction and user data, making them the most valuable to scammers.
  • Low Quality Logs: May contain incomplete or outdated data, but may still be used for certain purposes.

Conclusion​

Logs in carding are an important tool for fraudsters, allowing them to effectively manage their activities and bypass security systems. Understanding what logs are and how they are used can help in developing more effective methods of protection against fraud.
 
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