ADW_HAOCOM

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

It comes with an uninstall package that completely removes the files it dropped and the registries it created.

Arrival Details

This adware 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 adware creates the following folders:

• %Application Data%\baidu
• %Application Data%\baidu\hao123-jp

(Note: %Application Data% is the current user's Application Data folder, which is usually C:\Documents and Settings\{user name}\Application Data on Windows 2000, XP, and Server 2003, or C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Roaming on Windows Vista and 7.)

Autostart Technique

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

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
hao123Setting = "%User Temp%\bdg18.exe http://jp.hao123.com/?tn=incore_pay_hp_01_hao123_jp"

Other System Modifications

This adware adds the following registry keys:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Baidu

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Baidu\
Hao123-jp

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Baidu\
Hao123-jp\hao123desk

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\
hao123desk-jp

It adds the following registry entries:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Baidu\
Hao123-jp\hao123desk
Desktop = "1"

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Baidu\
Hao123-jp\hao123desk
StartMenu = "1"

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Baidu\
Hao123-jp\hao123desk
QuickLaunch = "1"

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Baidu\
Hao123-jp\hao123desk
UseInstaller = "0"

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Baidu\
Hao123-jp\hao123desk
ToyPath = "%Application Data%\baidu\hao123-jp\hao123.1.0.0.1111.exe"

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Baidu\
Hao123-jp\hao123desk
BaiduTn = "tn=incore_pay_sc_01_hao123_jp"

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Baidu\
Hao123-jp\hao123desk
LaunchCount = "0"

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Baidu\
Hao123-jp\hao123desk
GUID = "{GUID}"

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Baidu\
Hao123-jp\hao123desk
NewBaiduTn = "tn=incore_pay_sc_01_hao123_"

Dropping Routine

This adware drops the following files:

• %Application Data%\baidu\hao123-jp\hao123.1.0.0.1111.exe
• %Application Data%\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch\Hao123.lnk
• %Cookies%\{OS}@baidu[1].txt
• %Cookies%\{OS}@hao123[1].txt
• %Desktop%\Hao123.lnk
• %User Temp%\bdg18.exe
• %User Temp%\hao123Config.xml
• %User Temp%\setup.exe

(Note: %Application Data% is the current user's Application Data folder, which is usually C:\Documents and Settings\{user name}\Application Data on Windows 2000, XP, and Server 2003, or C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Roaming on Windows Vista and 7.. %Cookies% is the Internet Explorer browser cookies folder, which is usually C:\Documents and Settings\{user name}\Cookies on Windows 2000, XP, and Server 2003, or C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Cookies on Windows Vista and 7.. %Desktop% is the current user's desktop, which is usually C:\Documents and Settings\{User Name}\Desktop on Windows 2000, XP, and Server 2003, or C:\Users\{user name}\Desktop on Windows Vista and 7.. %User Temp% is the current user's Temp folder, which is usually C:\Documents and Settings\{user name}\Local Settings\Temp on Windows 2000, XP, and Server 2003, or C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Local\Temp on Windows Vista and 7.)

Other Details

This adware adds the following registry entries to add an uninstall option to the Control Panel:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\
hao123desk-jp
DisplayIcon = ""%Application Data%\baidu\hao123-jp\hao123.1.0.0.1111.exe""

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\
hao123desk-jp
DisplayName = "??hao123???????"

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\
hao123desk-jp
DisplayVersion = "1.0.0.1111"

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\
hao123desk-jp
HelpLink = "http://www.hao123.com/desk.html"

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\
hao123desk-jp
Publisher = "hao123"

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\
hao123desk-jp
UninstallString = ""%Application Data%\baidu\hao123-jp\hao123.1.0.0.1111.exe" -uninstall "

It connects to the following possibly malicious URL:

• http://dl.client.{BLOCKED}u.com/hao123/desk/jp/update-jp?{random characters}
• http://stat.client.ghk.{BLOCKED}3.com/img/gut.gif?{random characters}

It comes with an uninstall package that completely removes the files it dropped and the registries it added.