Trojan.MSIL.WHISPERGATE.YXCAQ

January 18, 2022
 Analysis by: Patrick Noel Collado
 Modified by: Maria Emreen Viray
 ALIASES:

DoS:Win32/WhisperGate.I!dha (MICROSOFT)

 PLATFORM:

Windows

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

  • Threat Type: Trojan

  • Destructiveness: No

  • Encrypted:

  • In the wild: Yes

  OVERVIEW

Infection Channel:

Downloaded from the Internet

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.

  TECHNICAL DETAILS

File Size:

280,064 bytes

File Type:

DLL

Memory Resident:

Yes

Initial Samples Received Date:

17 Jan 2022

Payload:

Connects to URLs/IPs, Executes files, Downloads files

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 files:

  • %User Temp%\Nmddfrqqrbyjeygggda.vbs
  • %User Temp%\AdvancedRun.exe
  • %User Temp%\InstallUtil.exe

(Note: %User Temp% is the current user's Temp folder, which is usually C:\Documents and Settings\{user name}\Local Settings\Temp on Windows 2000(32-bit), XP, and Server 2003(32-bit), or C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Local\Temp on Windows Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, 2008(64-bit), 2012(64-bit) and 10(64-bit).)

It adds the following processes:

  • powershell.exe -enc UwB0AGEAcgB0AC0AUwBsAGUAZQBwACAALQBzACAAMQAwAA== (Start-Sleep -s 10)
  • "%System%\WScript.exe" "%User Temp%\Nmddfrqqrbyjeygggda.vbs"
  • "%System%\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell.exe" Set-MpPreference -ExclusionPath 'c:\'
  • "%User Temp%\AdvancedRun.exe" /EXEFilename "%System%\sc.exe" /WindowState 0 /CommandLine "stop WinDefend" /StartDirectory "" /RunAs 8 /Run
  • %User Temp%\AdvancedRun.exe" /EXEFilename "%System%\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell.exe" /WindowState 0 /CommandLine "rmdir '%ProgramData%\Microsoft\Windows Defender' -Recurse" /StartDirectory "" /RunAs 8 /Run
  • %User Temp%\InstallUtil.exe

(Note: %User Temp% is the current user's Temp folder, which is usually C:\Documents and Settings\{user name}\Local Settings\Temp on Windows 2000(32-bit), XP, and Server 2003(32-bit), or C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Local\Temp on Windows Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, 2008(64-bit), 2012(64-bit) and 10(64-bit).. %ProgramData% is a version of the Program Files folder where any user on a multi-user computer can make changes to programs. This contains application data for all users. This is usually C:\ProgramData on Windows Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, 2008(64-bit), 2012(64-bit) and 10(64-bit), or C:\Documents and Settings\All Users on Windows Server 2003(32-bit), 2000(32-bit) and XP.)

It injects codes into the following process(es):

  • %User Temp%\InstallUtil.exe

(Note: %User Temp% is the current user's Temp folder, which is usually C:\Documents and Settings\{user name}\Local Settings\Temp on Windows 2000(32-bit), XP, and Server 2003(32-bit), or C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Local\Temp on Windows Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, 2008(64-bit), 2012(64-bit) and 10(64-bit).)

Other Details

This Trojan does the following:

  • It downloads malicious DLL from the following URL and executes it in memory:
    • https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/{BLOCKED}81184768/Tbopbh.jpg
  • It executes the following in memory:

  SOLUTION

Minimum Scan Engine:

9.800

FIRST VSAPI PATTERN FILE:

17.322.03

FIRST VSAPI PATTERN DATE:

18 Jan 2022

VSAPI OPR PATTERN File:

17.323.00

VSAPI OPR PATTERN Date:

19 Jan 2022

Step 1

Before doing any scans, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, and Windows 10 users must disable System Restore to allow full scanning of their computers.

Step 2

Note that not all files, folders, and registry keys and entries are installed on your computer during this malware's/spyware's/grayware's execution. This may be due to incomplete installation or other operating system conditions. If you do not find the same files/folders/registry information, please proceed to the next step.

Step 3

Search and delete this file

[ 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.  
  • %User Temp%\Nmddfrqqrbyjeygggda.vbs
  • %User Temp%\AdvancedRun.exe
  • %User Temp%\InstallUtil.exe

Step 4

Scan your computer with your Trend Micro product to delete files detected as Trojan.MSIL.WHISPERGATE.YXCAQ. 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 the following Trend Micro Support pages for more information:


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