WORM_LOCAREA.A

 Analysis by: Joselyn Canuela

 PLATFORM:

Windows

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

  • Threat Type: Worm

  • Destructiveness: No

  • Encrypted: Yes

  • In the wild: Yes

  OVERVIEW

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

It deletes the initially executed copy of itself.

  TECHNICAL DETAILS

File Size:

26,112 bytes

File Type:

EXE

Initial Samples Received Date:

30 Aug 2009

Arrival Details

This Worm 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 and executes them:

  • %Windows%\system\winmsgi.exe

(Note: %Windows% is the Windows folder, where it usually is C:\Windows on all Windows operating system versions.)

It drops the following files:

  • %System%\drivers\sysdrv32.sys

(Note: %System% is the Windows system folder, where it usually is C:\Windows\System32 on all Windows operating system versions.)

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
Windows Internet Manager = "%Windows%\system\winmsgi.exe"

It adds the following keys to allow itself to run on safe mode:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\ControlSet001\
Control\Safeboot\Minimal\
SVCWINSPOOL
"" = "Service"

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\ControlSet001\
Control\Safeboot\Network\
SVCWINSPOOL
"" = "Service"

Propagation

This Worm drops the following copy(ies) of itself in all removable drives:

  • lan.exe

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

Other Details

This Worm deletes the initially executed copy of itself