WORM_QBOT.BUD

This worm arrives by connecting affected removable drives to a system. It arrives on a system as a file dropped by other malware or as a file downloaded unknowingly by users when visiting malicious sites.

It drops copies of itself into network drives.

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

It retrieves specific information from the affected system.

It monitors certain files. It prevents users from visiting antivirus-related websites that contain specific strings.

Arrival Details

This worm arrives by connecting affected removable drives to a system.

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

• %System Root%\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\{random foldername}\{random filename}.exe

(Note: %System Root% is the root folder, which is usually C:\. It is also where the operating system is located.)

It creates the following folders:

• %System Root%\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\{random foldername}

(Note: %System Root% is the root folder, which is usually C:\. It is also where the operating system is located.)

It adds the following mutexes to ensure that only one of its copies runs at any one time:

• 1a{host name}

It injects itself into the following processes as part of its memory residency routine:

• IEXPLORE.EXE
• EXPLORER.EXE

Autostart Technique

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

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
{random characters} = "%System Root%\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\{random foldername}\{random filename}.exe"

It modifies the following registry entries to ensure it automatic execution at every system startup:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
{legitimate application} = ""%System Root%\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\{random foldername}\{random filename}.exe" /c {path and file name of legitimate application}"

(Note: The default value data of the said registry entry is {path and file name of legitimate application}.)

Propagation

This worm drops copies of itself into network drives.

Rootkit Capabilities

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

Dropping Routine

This worm drops the following files:

• %System Root%\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\{random foldername}\{random filename1}.dll - detected as TROJ_QAKLOG.SM
• %System Root%\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\{random foldername}\{random filename2}.dll - detected as Mal_Qakcfg1 (encrypted coinfiguration file)
• %System Root%\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\{random foldername}\{random filename}.dll - also detected as WORM_QBOT.BUD (dll component)

(Note: %System Root% is the root folder, which is usually C:\. It is also where the operating system is located.)

Download Routine

This worm connects to the following URL(s) to download its component file(s):

• {BLOCKED}.co.in
• {BLOCKED}.in
• {BLOCKED}ver.com.ua
• {BLOCKED}om.ua

Information Theft

This worm s configuration file contains the following information:

• Reference to the components and their corresponding random filenames in the system
• IRC data
• FTP hosts (upload sites)
• Infection log

It accepts the following parameters:

• /i - drop the dll and config file to current directory
• /s - start service
• /t - terminate any process with a similar filename

It retrieves the following information from the affected system:

• Account name
• Browsing activities
• Certificates
• City
• Cookies
• Country
• IE password protected sites
• IE user namesand passwords
• IP address
• MSN user name and password
• Operating system
• Outlook user name and password
• Public Storage - SMTP, POP3, LDAP
• System Information

It sends the gathered information to the following site/s using credentials from its configuration file:

• {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.134.75
• ftp.{BLOCKED}formation.com
• ftp.{BLOCKED}central.com
• s046.{BLOCKED}xmanager.com

Other Details

This worm monitors the following files:

• chrome.exe
• firefox.exe
• iexplore.exe
• msmsgs.exe
• msnmsgr.exe
• opera.exe
• outlook.exe
• skype.exe
• yahoomessenger.exe

It prevents users from visiting antivirus-related websites that contain the following strings:

• .eset
• agnitum
• ahnlab
• arcabit
• avast
• avg
• avira
• avp
• bit9
• bitdefender
• castlecops
• centralcommand
• clamav
• comodo
• computerassociates
• cpsecure
• defender
• drweb
• emsisoft
• esafe
• etrust
• ewido
• f-prot
• f-secure
• fortinet
• gdata
• grisoft
• hacksoft
• hauri
• ikarus
• jotti
• k7computing
• kaspersky
• malware
• mcafee
• networkassociates
• nod32
• norman
• norton
• panda
• pctools
• prevx
• quickheal
• rising
• rootkit
• securecomputing
• sophos
• spamhaus
• spyware
• sunbelt
• symantec
• threatexpert
• trendmicro
• virus
• webroot.
• wilderssecurity
• windowsupdate

NOTES:

This worm is capable of monitoring browsing activities and logs all information related to accessed finance-related websites containing the following strings:

• /cashman/
• /cashplus/
• /cmserver/
• access.jpmorgan.com
• business-eb.ibanking-services.com
• businessaccess.citibank.citigroup.com
• businessonline.huntington.com
• cashproonline.bankofamerica.com
• cpw-achweb.bankofamerica.com
• directline4biz.com
• directpay.wellsfargo.com
• ebanking-services.com
• express.53.com
• ibc.klikbca.com
• itreasury.regions.com
• itreasurypr.regions.com
• ktt.key.com
• moneymanagergps.com
• netconnect.bokf.com
• onb.webcashmgmt.com
• onlineserv/CM
• premierview.membersunited.org
• singlepoint.usbank.com
• tmconnectweb
• treas-mgt.frostbank.com
• treasury.pncbank.com
• web-cashplus.com

The components it downloads are saved in the folder %System Report%\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\{random folder}\u.

This worm may also connect to Internet Relay Chat (IRC) servers and receive commands from a remote user.

Whenever a USB drive is plugged in, it randomly selects a file name in the drive and name its dropped copy as {malware file name}_{selected file name}.exe. If the drive is empty, it appends _Documents in its file name. For example, {malware_filename}_Documents.exe.

This worm does not continue its routine if its host process is any of the following:

• ctfmon.exe
• dbgview.exe
• mirc.exe
• msdev.exe
• ollydbg.exe