WORM_PROLACO

This description is based is a compiled analysis of several variants of WORM_PROLACO. Note that specific data such as file names and registry values may vary for each variant.

This worm arrives as attachment to mass-mailed email messages. It arrives via peer-to-peer (P2P) shares. It arrives via removable drives. It may be dropped by other malware. It may be unknowingly downloaded by a user while visiting malicious websites.

It drops copies of itself into all the removable drives connected to an affected system. It drops an AUTORUN.INF file to automatically execute the copies it drops when a user accesses the drives of an affected system.

It also has rootkit capabilities, which enables it to hide its processes and files from the user.

It executes the files it drops, prompting the affected system to exhibit the malicious routines they contain.

Arrival Details

This worm arrives as attachment to mass-mailed email messages.

It arrives via peer-to-peer (P2P) shares.

It arrives via removable drives.

It may be dropped by other malware.

It may be unknowingly downloaded by a user while visiting malicious websites.

Installation

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

• %System%\{malware file name}.exe

(Note: %System% is the Windows system folder, which is usually C:\Windows\System on Windows 98 and ME, C:\WINNT\System32 on Windows NT and 2000, or C:\Windows\System32 on Windows XP and Server 2003.)

It creates the following folders:

• %Application Data%\SystemProc

(Note: %Application Data% is the current user's Application Data folder, which is usually C:\Windows\Profiles\{user name}\Application Data on Windows 98 and ME, C:\WINNT\Profiles\{user name}\Application Data on Windows NT, and C:\Documents and Settings\{user name}\Local Settings\Application Data on Windows 2000, XP, and Server 2003.)

Autostart Technique

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

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
{random} = "%System%\{malware file name}.exe"

Other System Modifications

This worm adds the following registry keys:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
{random}

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
{random}

It adds the following registry entries:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\
Services\SharedAccess\Parameters\
FirewallPolicy\StandardProfile\AuthorizedApplications\
List
{random} = "%System%\{malware file name}.exe"

Propagation

This worm drops copies of itself into the following folders used in peer-to-peer (P2P) networks:

• %Program Files%\emule\incoming\
• %Program Files%\grokster\my grokster\
• %Program Files%\icq\shared folder\
• %Program Files%\limewire\shared\
• %Program Files%\morpheus\my shared folder\
• %Program Files%\tesla\files\
• %Program Files%\bearshare\shared\
• %Program Files%\edonkey2000\incoming\
• %Program Files%\kazaa lite k++\my shared folder\
• %Program Files%\kazaa lite\my shared folder\
• %Program Files%\kazaa\my shared folder\
• %Program Files%\winmx\shared\
• %System Root%\Downloads\
• %User Profile%\My Documents\Frostwire\shared

(Note: %Program Files% is the default Program Files folder, usually C:\Program Files.. %System Root% is the root folder, which is usually C:\. It is also where the operating system is located.. %User Profile% is the current user's profile folder, which is usually C:\Windows\Profiles\{user name} on Windows 98 and ME, C:\WINNT\Profiles\{user name} on Windows NT, and C:\Documents and Settings\{user name} on Windows 2000, XP, and Server 2003.)

It drops copies of itself into all the removable drives connected to an affected system.

It uses the following file names for the copies it drops into shared networks:

• AVS Video Converter v6.3.1.365 CRACKED.exe
• Ad-aware 2010.exe
• Adobe Acrobat Reader keygen.exe
• Adobe Illustrator CS4 crack.exe
• Adobe Photoshop CS5 crack.exe
• Alcohol 120 v1.9.7.exe
• Anti-Porn v13.5.12.29.exe
• AnyDVD HD v.6.3.1.8 Beta incl crack.exe
• Ashampoo Snap 3.02.exe
• BitDefender AntiVirus 2010 Keygen.exe
• Blaze DVD Player Pro v6.52.exe
• CleanMyPC Registry Cleaner v6.02.exe
• DVD Tools Nero 10.5.6.0.exe
• Daemon Tools Pro 4.50.exe
• Divx Pro 7 + keymaker.exe
• Download Accelerator Plus v9.exe
• Download Boost 2.0.exe
• G-Force Platinum v3.7.5.exe
• Google SketchUp 7.1 Pro.exe
• Grand Theft Auto Episodes From Liberty City 2010.exe
• Image Size Reducer Pro v1.0.1.exe
• Internet Download Manager V5.exe
• K-Lite Mega Codec v5.5.1.exe
• K-Lite Mega Codec v5.6.1 Portable.exe
• Kaspersky AntiVirus 2010 crack.exe
• LimeWire Pro v4.18.3.exe
• MagicISO Magic ISO Maker v5.5.0276 Cracked.exe
• McAfee Total Protection 2010.exe
• Microsoft.Windows 7 ULTIMATE FINAL activator+keygen x86.exe
• Motorola, nokia, ericsson mobil phone tools.exe
• Mp3 Splitter and Joiner Pro v3.48.exe
• Myspace theme collection.exe
• Nero 9 9.2.6.0 keygen.exe
• Norton Anti-Virus 2010 crack.exe
• Norton Internet Security 2010 crack.exe
• PDF Unlocker v2.0.3.exe
• PDF password remover (works with all acrobat reader).exe
• PDF to Word Converter 3.0.exe
• PDF-XChange Pro.exe
• Power ISO v4.2 + keygen axxo.exe
• RapidShare Killer AIO 2010.exe
• Rapidshare Auto Downloader 3.8.exe
• Sony Vegas Pro v9.0a incl crack.exe
• Sophos antivirus updater bypass.exe
• Starcraft2 REGION-UNLOCKER.exe
• Starcraft2 SERVER-CHANGER.exe
• Starcraft2 battle.net key generator.exe
• Starcraft2 battle.net keys.txt.exe
• Starcraft2.exe
• Super Utilities Pro 2009 11.0.exe
• Total Commander7 license+keygen.exe
• Trojan Killer v2.9.4173.exe
• Tuneup Ultilities 2010.exe
• Twitter FriendAdder 2.1.1.exe
• Uniblue RegistryBooster 2010.exe
• VmWare 7.0 keygen.exe
• VmWare keygen.exe
• WinRAR v3.x keygen RaZoR.exe
• Winamp.Pro.v7.33.PowerPack.Portable+installer.exe
• Windows 2008 Enterprise Server VMWare Virtual Machine.exe
• Windows 7 Ultimate keygen.exe
• Windows XP PRO Corp SP3 valid-key generator.exe
• Windows2008 keygen and activator.exe
• YouTubeGet 5.4.exe
• Youtube Music Downloader 1.0.exe

It drops an AUTORUN.INF file to automatically execute the copies it drops when a user accesses the drives of an affected system.

It searches for available Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) servers by prepending the following strings in domain names:

• gate.
• mail.
• mail1.
• mailmx
• mx0
• mx1.
• mxs.
• ns.
• relay.
• smtp.

It uses its own Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) engine to send email messages with Trojan or JavaScript downloaders as attachments and that contain the following details:

• From:
  • e-cards@hallmark.com
  • invitations@twitter.com
  • invitations@hi5.com
  • order-update@amazon.com
  • resume-thanks@google.com
  • update@facebookmail.com
• Subject:
  • You have received A Hallmark E-Card!
  • Your friend invited you to Twitter!
  • Laura would like to be your friend on hi5!
  • Shipping update for your Amazon.com order.
  • Thank you from Google!
  • You have got a new message on Facebook!

It avoids sending email messages to addresses containing the following strings:

• abuse
• acd-group
• acdnet.com
• acdsystems.com
• acketst
• admin
• ahnlab
• alcatel-lucent.com
• anyone
• apache
• arin.
• avg.comsysinternals
• avira
• badware
• berkeley
• bitdefender
• bluewin.ch
• borlan
• bpsoft.com
• buyrar.com
• certific
• cisco
• clamav
• contact
• debian
• drweb
• eset.com
• example
• f-secure
• firefox
• ghisler.com
• gold-certs
• honeynet
• honeypot
• ibm.com
• icrosoft
• idefense
• ikarus
• immunityinc.com
• inpris
• isc.o
• isi.e
• jgsoft
• kaspersky
• kernel
• lavasoft
• linux
• listserv
• mcafee
• messagelabs
• mit.e
• mozilla
• mydomai
• nobody
• nodomai
• noone
• nothing
• novirusthanks
• ntivi
• nullsoft.org
• panda
• postmaster
• prevx
• privacy
• qualys
• quebecor.com
• rating
• redhat
• rfc-ed
• ruslis
• sales
• samba
• samples
• secur
• security
• sendmail
• service
• slashdot
• somebody
• someone
• sopho
• sourceforge
• ssh.com
• submit
• sun.com
• support
• syman
• tanford.e
• the.bat
• usenet
• utgers.ed
• virus
• virusbuster
• webmaster
• websense
• winamp
• winpcap
• wireshark
• www.ca.com

Rootkit Capabilities

This worm also has rootkit capabilities, which enables it to hide its processes and files from the user.

Process Termination

This worm terminates the following processes if found running in the affected system's memory:

• APVXDWIN
• AVG8_TRA
• AVP
• AntiVirScheduler
• Arrakis3
• BDAgent
• CAVRID
• CaCCProvSP
• DrWebSch
• ERSvc
• Ehttpsrvekrn
• Emproxy
• F-PROT Antivirus Tray application
• FPAVServ
• GWMSRV
• ISTray
• K7EmlPxy
• K7RTScan
• K7SystemTray
• K7TSMngr
• K7TSStar
• LIVESRV
• LiveUpdate Notice Service
• MCNASVC
• MPFSERVICE
• MPS9
• McAfee HackerWatch Service
• McENUI
• MskAgentexe
• OfficeScanNT Monitor SpamBlocker
• PANDA SOFTWARE CONTROLLER
• PAVFNSVR
• PAVPRSRV
• PAVSVR
• PSHOST
• PSIMSVC
• PSKSVCRE
• RSCCenter
• RSRavMon
• RavTask
• SAVScan
• SBAMTra
• SCANINICIO
• Savadmin
• Savservice
• Service
• Sophos Autoupdate Service
• SpIDerMail
• Spam Blocker for Outlook Express
• Symantec Core LCccEvtMgr
• TAIL
• TPSRV
• ThreatFire
• VSSERV
• WerSvc
• WinDefend
• Windows Defender
• XCOMM
• antivirservice
• aswupdsv
• avast
• avast! Antivirus
• avast! Mail Scanner
• avast! Web Scanner
• avg8emc
• avg8wd
• bdss
• ccproxy
• ccpwdsv
• ccsetmg
• cctray
• eduler
• egui
• liveupdate
• mcODS
• mcmisupdmgr
• mcmscsvc
• mcpromgr
• mcproxy
• mcredirector
• mcshield
• mcsysmon
• msk80service
• navapsvc
• npfmntor
• nscservice
• sbamsvc
• sbamui
• scan
• sdauxservice
• sdcodeservice
• service
• sndsrvc
• spbbcsvc
• wscsvc

Dropping Routine

This worm drops the following files:

• {malware path}\{malware file name}.exe - detected as another malware

It executes the files it drops, prompting the affected system to exhibit the malicious routines they contain.

Other Details

This worm connects to the following URL(s) to get the affected system's IP address:

• http://whatsmyip.com

It attempts to access the following websites to download files, which are possibly malicious:

• http://www.{BLOCKED}ne.net
• http://{BLOCKED}x.com/se.php
• http://{BLOCKED}llqz.com/inst.php
• http://{BLOCKED}on7.com/update.php
• http://{BLOCKED}.com/update.php
• http://{BLOCKED}.com/update.php
• http://{BLOCKED}ebox.com/update.php

NOTES:

This description is based is a compiled analysis of several variants of WORM_PROLACO. Note that specific data such as file names and registry values may vary for each variant.