PUA_TOPTOOLS.GC

February 06, 2018
 Analysis by: Byron Jon Gelera
 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

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. It may be manually installed by a user.

  TECHNICAL DETAILS

File Size:

1,093,736 bytes

File Type:

EXE

Memory Resident:

No

Initial Samples Received Date:

05 Feb 2018

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.

It may be manually installed by a user.

Installation

This Potentially Unwanted Application drops the following files:

  • %Program Files%\tools\update\tools_update.exe
  • %Windows%\Tasks\Tools_Update_{CFAC34AB-5DB5-4dea-94EC-1D42E3942873}.job
  • %All Users Profile%\tools\update\download\update.dat.temp
  • %All Users Profile%\tools\update\update.dat
  • %System Root%\Users\Public\Documents\Tools\Common\I18N\conf.db
  • %System%\Tasks\Tools_Update_{CFAC34AB-5DB5-4dea-94EC-1D42E3942873}

(Note: %Program Files% is the Program Files folder, where it usually is C:\Program Files on all Windows operating system versions; C:\Program Files (x86) for 32-bit applications running on Windows 64-bit operating systems.. %Windows% is the Windows folder, where it usually is C:\Windows on all Windows operating system versions.. %All Users Profile% is the All Users folder, where it usually is C:\Documents and Settings\All Users on Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003, and Windows XP (32- and 64-bit); C:\ProgramData on Windows Vista (32- and 64-bit), Windows 7 (32- and 64-bit), Windows 8 (32- and 64-bit), Windows 8.1 (32- and 64-bit), Windows Server 2008, and Windows Server 2012.. %System Root% is the Windows root folder, where it usually is C:\ on all Windows operating system versions.. %System% is the Windows system folder, where it usually is C:\Windows\System32 on all Windows operating system versions.)

Other System Modifications

This Potentially Unwanted Application adds the following registry keys:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\tools\
update

It adds the following registry entries:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\tools\
update
AppInfoUpdate = "{Date}"

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\tools\
update
partner = "tools"

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\tools\
update
FrID = "J1Yc70ppFLA="

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\tools\
update
Version = "4.0.0.12"

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\tools\
update
GUID = "{GUID}"

Other Details

This Potentially Unwanted Application connects to the following possibly malicious URL:

  • http://{BLOCKED}ad.{BLOCKED}lesever.online/update.dat
  • http://www.{BLOCKED}lesever.{BLOCKED}/cgi-bin-py/global_tools.cgi?ty={value}&t={value}&len={value}&data={value)

  SOLUTION

Minimum Scan Engine:

9.850

SSAPI PATTERN File:

1.917.00

SSAPI PATTERN Date:

08 Feb 2018

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

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

Delete this registry key

[ 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\tools
    • update

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.  
  • %Program Files%\tools\update\tools_update.exe
  • %Windows%\Tasks\Tools_Update_{CFAC34AB-5DB5-4dea-94EC-1D42E3942873}.job
  • %All Users Profile%\tools\update\download\update.dat.temp
  • %All Users Profile%\tools\update\update.dat
  • %System Root%\Users\Public\Documents\Tools\Common\I18N\conf.db
  • %System%\Tasks\Tools_Update_{CFAC34AB-5DB5-4dea-94EC-1D42E3942873}

Step 5

Scan your computer with your Trend Micro product to delete files detected as PUA_TOPTOOLS.GC. 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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