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TROJ_FAKEAV.SM63

July 13, 2013
 PLATFORM:

Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003, Windows XP (32-bit, 64-bit), Windows Vista (32-bit, 64-bit), Windows 7 (32-bit, 64-bit)

 OVERALL RISK RATING:
 DAMAGE POTENTIAL:
 DISTRIBUTION POTENTIAL:
 REPORTED INFECTION:

  • Threat Type: Trojan

  • Destructiveness: No

  • Encrypted:

  • In the wild: Yes

  OVERVIEW

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

It executes then deletes itself afterward.

  TECHNICAL DETAILS

File Size:

875,008 bytes

File Type:

DLL

Initial Samples Received Date:

29 May 2013

Arrival Details

This Trojan 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 Trojan drops the following file(s)/component(s):

  • %All Users Profile%\Application Data\amsecure.exe
  • %All Users Profile%\Desktop\Internet Security 2013.lnk
  • %User Temp%\7.tmp
  • %User Temp%\8.tmp

(Note: %All Users Profile% is the All Users or Common profile folder, which is C:\Documents and Settings\All Users in Windows 2000, XP, and Server 2003, and C:\ProgramData in 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.)

It executes then deletes itself afterward.

Other System Modifications

This Trojan adds the following registry entries as part of its installation routine:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\
Control\Session Manager
PendingFileRenameOperations = "\??\%User Temp%\8.tmp"

It modifies the following registry entries:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\
Cache\Paths
Directory = "%System Root%\Documents and Settings\LocalService\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5"

(Note: The default value data of the said registry entry is %Temporary Internet Files%\Content.IE5.)

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\
Cache\Paths\path1
CachePath = "%System Root%\Documents and Settings\LocalService\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5\Cache1"

(Note: The default value data of the said registry entry is %Temporary Internet Files%\Content.IE5\Cache1.)

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\
Cache\Paths\path2
CachePath = "%System Root%\Documents and Settings\LocalService\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5\Cache2"

(Note: The default value data of the said registry entry is %Temporary Internet Files%\Content.IE5\Cache2.)

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\
Cache\Paths\path3
CachePath = "%System Root%\Documents and Settings\LocalService\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5\Cache3"

(Note: The default value data of the said registry entry is %Temporary Internet Files%\Content.IE5\Cache3.)

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\
Cache\Paths\path4
CachePath = "%System Root%\Documents and Settings\LocalService\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5\Cache4"

(Note: The default value data of the said registry entry is %Temporary Internet Files%\Content.IE5\Cache4.)

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\
Hardware Profiles\0001\Software\
Microsoft\windows\CurrentVersion\
Internet Settings
ProxyEnable = "0"

(Note: The default value data of the said registry entry is 1.)

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\
Hardware Profiles\Current\Software\
Microsoft\windows\CurrentVersion\
Internet Settings
ProxyEnable = "0"

(Note: The default value data of the said registry entry is 1.)

HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\
Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\
Explorer\Shell Folders
AppData = "%System Root%\Documents and Settings\LocalService\Application Data"

(Note: The default value data of the said registry entry is %System Root%\Documents and Settings\NetworkService\Application Data.)

HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\
Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\
Explorer\Shell Folders
Cookies = "%System Root%\Documents and Settings\LocalService\Cookies"

(Note: The default value data of the said registry entry is %System Root%\Documents and Settings\NetworkService\Cookies.)

HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\
Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\
Explorer\Shell Folders
Cache = "%System Root%\Documents and Settings\LocalService\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files"

(Note: The default value data of the said registry entry is %System Root%\Documents and Settings\NetworkService\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files.)

HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\
Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\
Explorer\Shell Folders
History = "%System Root%\Documents and Settings\LocalService\Local Settings\History"

(Note: The default value data of the said registry entry is %System Root%\Documents and Settings\NetworkService\Local Settings\History.)

HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG\Software\Microsoft\
windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings
ProxyEnable = "0"

(Note: The default value data of the said registry entry is 1.)

  SOLUTION

Minimum Scan Engine:

9.300

FIRST VSAPI PATTERN FILE:

9.948.08

FIRST VSAPI PATTERN DATE:

29 May 2013

VSAPI OPR PATTERN File:

9.949.00

VSAPI OPR PATTERN Date:

30 May 2013

Step 1

Before doing any scans, Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7 users must disable System Restore to allow full scanning of their computers.

Step 2

Delete this registry value

[ Learn More ]

Important: Editing the Windows Registry incorrectly can lead to irreversible system malfunction. Please do this step only if you know how or you can ask assistance from your system administrator. Else, check this Microsoft article first before modifying your computer's registry.

  • In HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager
    • PendingFileRenameOperations = "\??\%User Temp%\8.tmp"

Step 3

Restore this modified registry value

[ Learn More ]

Important: Editing the Windows Registry incorrectly can lead to irreversible system malfunction. Please do this step only if you know how or you can ask assistance from your system administrator. Else, check this Microsoft article first before modifying your computer's registry.

  • In HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Cache\Paths
    • From: Directory = "%System Root%\Documents and Settings\LocalService\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5"
      To: Directory = "%Temporary Internet Files%\Content.IE5"
  • In HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Cache\Paths\path1
    • From: CachePath = "%System Root%\Documents and Settings\LocalService\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5\Cache1"
      To: CachePath = "%Temporary Internet Files%\Content.IE5\Cache1"
  • In HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Cache\Paths\path2
    • From: CachePath = "%System Root%\Documents and Settings\LocalService\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5\Cache2"
      To: CachePath = "%Temporary Internet Files%\Content.IE5\Cache2"
  • In HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Cache\Paths\path3
    • From: CachePath = "%System Root%\Documents and Settings\LocalService\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5\Cache3"
      To: CachePath = "%Temporary Internet Files%\Content.IE5\Cache3"
  • In HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Cache\Paths\path4
    • From: CachePath = "%System Root%\Documents and Settings\LocalService\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5\Cache4"
      To: CachePath = "%Temporary Internet Files%\Content.IE5\Cache4"
  • In HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Hardware Profiles\0001\Software\Microsoft\windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings
    • From: ProxyEnable = "0"
      To: ProxyEnable = "1"
  • In HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Hardware Profiles\Current\Software\Microsoft\windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings
    • From: ProxyEnable = "0"
      To: ProxyEnable = "1"
  • In HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Folders
    • From: AppData = "%System Root%\Documents and Settings\LocalService\Application Data"
      To: AppData = "%System Root%\Documents and Settings\NetworkService\Application Data"
  • In HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Folders
    • From: Cookies = "%System Root%\Documents and Settings\LocalService\Cookies"
      To: Cookies = "%System Root%\Documents and Settings\NetworkService\Cookies"
  • In HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Folders
    • From: Cache = "%System Root%\Documents and Settings\LocalService\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files"
      To: Cache = "%System Root%\Documents and Settings\NetworkService\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files"
  • In HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Folders
    • From: History = "%System Root%\Documents and Settings\LocalService\Local Settings\History"
      To: History = "%System Root%\Documents and Settings\NetworkService\Local Settings\History"
  • In HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG\Software\Microsoft\windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings
    • From: ProxyEnable = "0"
      To: ProxyEnable = "1"

Step 4

Search and delete these files

[ Learn More ]
There may be some files that are hidden. Please make sure you check the Search Hidden Files and Folders checkbox in the "More advanced options" option to include all hidden files and folders in the search result.
  • %All Users Profile%\Application Data\amsecure.exe
  • %All Users Profile%\Desktop\Internet Security 2013.lnk
  • %User Temp%\7.tmp
  • %User Temp%\8.tmp

Step 5

Scan your computer with your Trend Micro product to delete files detected as TROJ_FAKEAV.SM63. If the detected files have already been cleaned, deleted, or quarantined by your Trend Micro product, no further step is required. You may opt to simply delete the quarantined files. Please check this Knowledge Base page for more information.


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