PUA.MSIL.MoveMouse.A

 Analysis by: Melvin Jhun Palbusa

 PLATFORM:

Windows

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

  • Threat Type: Potentially Unwanted Application

  • Destructiveness: No

  • Encrypted:

  • In the wild: Yes

  OVERVIEW

Infection Channel:

Downloaded from the Internet, Dropped by other malware

This Potentially Unwanted Application 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:

772,096 bytes

File Type:

EXE

Memory Resident:

No

Initial Samples Received Date:

11 Apr 2023

Payload:

Connects to URLs/IPs, Drops files, Modifies system registry

Arrival Details

This Potentially Unwanted Application 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 Potentially Unwanted Application drops the following files:

  • %Application Data%\Ellanet\Move Mouse\Move Mouse.xml → Contains the selected configurations for the grayware when executed.

(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(32-bit), XP, and Server 2003(32-bit), or C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Roaming on Windows Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, 2008(64-bit), 2012(64-bit) and 10(64-bit).)

It creates the following folders:

  • %Application Data%\Ellanet
  • %Application Data%Ellanet\Move Mouse

(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(32-bit), XP, and Server 2003(32-bit), or C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Roaming on Windows Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, 2008(64-bit), 2012(64-bit) and 10(64-bit).)

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

  • d45b30b9-9e65-4d33-a2bc-d6ba6a7500bd

Other System Modifications

This Potentially Unwanted Application adds the following registry entries:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
Move Mouse = {Grayware File Path} → when "Automatically launch Move Mouse at Windows logon" is enabled

Other Details

This Potentially Unwanted Application does the following:

  • It is used to prevent Windows from locking the user session or going to sleep
  • It has the following Tabs with the following options:
    • Mouse Tab:
      • It contains the following options:
        • PayPal Button → Directs to https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_buttonid=QZTWHD9CRW5XN
        • Twitter Button → Directs to https://twitter.com/movemouse
        • Hole Button → Directs to https://github.com/sw103/movemouse/
    • Actions Tab:
      • It contains the following options:
        • Specify how long the cursor wait to repeat its action.
        • Move mouse pointer → enable to move the mouse cursor.
        • Stealth mode → pointer movement won't be visible on screen.
        • Static mouse pointer position → Set a screen coordinate to position the mouse cursor.
        • Track → Automatically track the cursor location.
        • Click left mouse button → enable to click the left mouse button.
        • Send keystroke → Enable to send a keystroke from the following list:
          • {BACKSPACE}
          • {BREAK}
          • {CAPSLOCK}
          • {DELETE}
          • {DOWN}
          • {END}
          • {ENTER}
          • {ESC}
          • {HELP}
          • {HOME}
          • {INSERT}
          • {LEFT}
          • {NUMLOCK}
          • {PGDN}
          • {PGUP}
          • {PRTSC}
          • {RIGHT}
          • {SCROLLLOCK}
          • {TAB}
          • {UP}
          • {F1}
          • {F2}
          • {F3}
          • {F4}
          • {F5}
          • {F6}
          • {F7}
          • {F8}
          • {F9}
          • {F10}
          • {F11}
          • {F12}
          • {F13}
          • {F14}
          • {F15}
          • {F16}
          • {ADD}
          • {SUBTRACT}
          • {MULTIPLY}
          • {DIVIDE}
        • Activate application → Enable to specify a running application to interact
        • Refresh → To rescan running processes
    • Behaviour Tab: → Customize how the grayware operates within the user session
      • It has the following customization options:
        • Pause when mouse pointer moved → session pauses when user activity is detected(mouse movement or keboard)
        • Automatically resume after X seconds of inactivity → Continue session when specified number of seconds of inactivity is detected.
        • Disable when running on battery → Stop session when detected running on battery power.
        • Enable start/pause hotkeys → Set a hotkey to pause/start the session.
        • Automatically start Move Mouse on launch → Automatically start session when the grayware is executed
        • Automatically launch Move Mouse at Windows logon → Automatically launch the grayware upon Windows Logon
        • Minimise on pause → Minimizes window when the session pauses
        • Minimise on start → Minimizes window when the session starts
        • Minimise to System Tray → Minimizes window to system tray when enabled
    • Script Tab: → enable to execute Script files
      • It has the following options:
        • Execute script when Move Mouse starts → execute a script when session starts
        • Execute script at each interval → execute a script every after interval
        • Execute script when Move Mouse pauses → execute a script when session starts
      • It uses notepad.exe as default editor
      • It supports the following script languages:
        • PowerShell
        • Batch
        • VBScript
        • JScript
    • Schedules Tab → It allows to create a scheduled task when to automatically stop/start the grayware
    • Blackouts Tab → It allows to Create a time slot when to disable the grayware and enter sleeping state.
  • It connects to the following URL's:
    • https://{BLOCKED}hubusercontent.com/sw3103/movemouse/master/Mice/Mice.xml
    • https://{BLOCKED}hubusercontent.com/sw3103/movemouse/master//Update_3x.xml

  SOLUTION

Minimum Scan Engine:

9.800

SSAPI PATTERN File:

2.613.00

SSAPI PATTERN Date:

13 Apr 2023

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 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.  
  • %Application Data%\Ellanet
  • %Application Data%Ellanet\Move Mouse

Step 4

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.
  • %Application Data%\Ellanet\Move Mouse\Move Mouse.xml

Step 5

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_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\
    • Move Mouse = {Grayware File Path}

Step 6

Scan your computer with your Trend Micro product to delete files detected as PUA.MSIL.MoveMouse.A. 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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