Do I have a keylogger installed?

[DarkFlareGames]

Before I get into explaining the whole situation, I am not an amateur computer user. I never run anything, and whenever I want to install something that could potentially have any sort of adware or spyware in it, I always use a virtual machine. I use different passwords for everything and have a VPN on sometimes. I don't click on links from anyone besides YouTube videos or something that is obviously safe.

Let me start from a while ago. In January, all of my unlisted YouTube videos got made public randomly when I wasn't even on my phone. I had 2 step verification on this whole time, linked with a phone number that no one knows besides my family. I used a secure password (11 - 17 characters). Earlier that day, there were some Japanese people in a community I'm in who kept spamming me with an image. After I got hacked, someone suggested it could be a 'jpeg 0day exploit' that the image had inside of it. However, I was on my phone the whole time. It is unrelated to my desktop PC because it was off the whole time. To be safe, I formatted, took out the battery, and threw this phone in a box and got a new one (I'm a security freak). My Google account had no new sign-ins that I didn't recognize. I changed all my passwords multiple times since then and haven't seen anything suspicious until a few days ago. At 4:40am, someone in a Skype group I was in asked a question to someone else, and I apparently answered "yes" to it a minute later. I was asleep at this time and both my phone and PC were turned off. I know they received the message at that time, too, because they said "Oh hi, I didn't know you would be awake." I changed my passwords again since then and formatted my PC like I do every 2 months (Again, I'm a security freak).

My question is am I hacked or being keylogged? I'm looking for a very technical response from someone who has extensive knowledge in this field because I've already asked many people who have decent security. To reiterate- I never ran any files or installed any APKs on my phone, never clicked any links, have 2 step verification on all accounts that support it, never gave my password to anyone, use different passwords for every website, use secure passwords, format PC monthly, use a VPN sometimes, and generally do everything I can to keep myself safe. If you think I'm hacked, please explain how I can prevent it from happening again in the future. Keep in mind everything I just said. I know all of the basic security practices.

Thanks ahead of time

 

[Ralston18]

First: full disclosure - I am very likely not as "technically extensive" as you seem to desire.

Still I will offer some "thinking out loud" observations:

1) YouTube may have had some problem that made your unlisted videos public. Or some default configuration was reinstated via an update. All online entities are always scrambling about to get more viewers, more hits, serve more ads - whatever. They rush code out and bad things happen. Rarely are those events acknowledged especially if quickly noticed and fixed.

As for your telephone number: all too easy to write a simple program that generates and dials telephone numbers. Just dials those numbers one by one. Records those numbers that actually ring and stores those numbers to be called again. Sometime our office phones would ring and we would pick up to hear fax machine tones. Got lots of junk faxes in those days....

2) Consider what specific community you were in when you got spammed with the image - was the image some advertisement that simply refused to close and/or kept re-opening. How do you know the source was "Japanese people"? If someone is up to no good they are probably going to use some spoof. If the community is suspect stop participating and do not go back. There are legitimate websites that I avoid just because of the spam like behavior.

3) The Skype incident: you were asleep and your "yes" is only apparent. I would go back, if possible, re-examine the thread, check the times, etc.. Perhaps "DarkFlareGamer" was on.

4) You are obviously very security sensitive. It is against this forum's policy to offer comments relating to "how to" hacking for good or bad reasons. However, I think is it safe to say that you know your system best. Can you think of or identify a weak spot? Your post indicates the answer to be no.

Therefore: update and re-run your AV software, look for keyloggers, do away with any wireless connections (no more phones implied). Do not put any personally identifiable or sensitive information on your systems. Nothing there if you truly get hacked.

I have noted a growing media trend to scream "hacked" for what is a actually a failed "hack attempt". Security makes the difference between the two.

I.e., someone sends me a suspicous email. I delete that email outright and unopened. Does not mean I was hacked.

"Hacked", I guess, makes for bigger headlines.... Or becomes the infamous "boogyman" catch-all.

 

[rickin432]

It is likely someone with direct access to your computer installed a keylogger.

In case the keylogger is still on there, download Hitman Pro & run it in safe mode.
After that, download Zemana AntiMalware and run it's scan (in normal mode).
Get an antivirus as well. Pick any one from Kaspersky, Norton, BitDefender, Avira, Avast, etc.

Stop others from using your computer.