BKDR_PLEAD.ZTCK-A

This backdoor arrives on a system as a file dropped by other malware or as a file downloaded unknowingly by users when visiting malicious sites.

It uses icons similar to those of legitimate applications to entice a user to click them.

Arrival Details

This backdoor arrives on a system as a file dropped by other malware or as a file downloaded unknowingly by users when visiting malicious sites.

Installation

This backdoor drops the following copies of itself into the affected system:

• %Application Data%\Microsoft\Windows\Themes\nvidia.exe

(Note: %Application Data% is the Application Data folder, where it usually is C:\Documents and Settings\{user name}\Application Data on Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003, and Windows XP (32- and 64-bit); C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Roaming on Windows Vista (32- and 64-bit), Windows 7 (32- and 64-bit), Windows 8 (32- and 64-bit), Windows 8.1 (32- and 64-bit), Windows Server 2008, and Windows Server 2012.)

Autostart Technique

This backdoor adds the following registry entries to enable its automatic execution at every system startup:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
NVIDIA Corporation = %Application Data%\Microsoft\Windows\Themes\nvidia.exe

Propagation

This backdoor uses icons similar to those of legitimate applications to entice a user to click them.

Other Details

This backdoor connects to the following possibly malicious URL:

• http://{BLOCKED}y.serverpit.com:443/Pages/2775329865.asp