COINMINER_MALXMR.TIDBFAQ

 Analysis by: John Anthony Banes

 ALIASES:

Trojan:Win64/Stratumine.B (Microsoft); Riskware/BitMiner (Fortinet)

 PLATFORM:

Windows

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

  • Threat Type: Coinminer

  • Destructiveness: No

  • Encrypted: No

  • In the wild: Yes

  OVERVIEW

Infection Channel:

Dropped by other malware, Downloaded from the Internet


This Coinminer 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:

1,385,342 bytes

File Type:

EXE

Memory Resident:

Yes

Initial Samples Received Date:

10 Aug 2018

Payload:

Terminates processes, Drops files

Arrival Details

This Coinminer 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 Coinminer drops the following files:

  • %User Temp%\delay.vbs
  • %Windows%\__tmp_rar_sfx_access_check_{numbers}
  • %Windows%\Help\32.zip - ZIP file containing a coinminer and its configuration file
  • %Windows%\Help\config.json - coinminer config file
  • %Windows%\Help\windows.exe - coinminer
  • %Windows%\restart_service.txt
  • %Windows%\svchost.exe - service manager (64-bit only)

(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, XP, and Server 2003, or C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Local\Temp on Windows Vista, 7, and 8.. %Windows% is the Windows folder, where it usually is C:\Windows on all Windows operating system versions.)

It drops and executes the following files:

  • %Windows%\360.bat
  • %Windows%\Imagesr.exe - drops coinminer components
  • %Windows%\new.vbs - executes win.bat and windows.exe
  • %Windows%\win.bat - terminates various processes and deletes services

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

Autostart Technique

This Coinminer drops the following file(s) in the Windows User Startup folder to enable its automatic execution at every system startup:

  • %User Startup%\Imagesr.exe.lnk

(Note: %User Startup% is the current user's Startup folder, which is usually C:\Windows\Profiles\{user name}\Start Menu\Programs\Startup on Windows 98 and ME, C:\WINNT\Profiles\{user name}\Start Menu\Programs\Startup on Windows NT, C:\Documents and Settings\{User name}\Start Menu\Programs\Startup on Windows XP, or C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup on Windows Vista, 7, and 8.)

Process Termination

This Coinminer terminates the following processes if found running in the affected system's memory:

  • bengalCpu.exe
  • brighter.exe
  • Imaging.exe
  • mask.exe
  • MSASCui.exe
  • msconsole.exe
  • mscorsvw.exe
  • nheqminer.exe
  • nheqminer_zcash.exe
  • NsCpuapl.exe
  • NsCpuCNMiner32.exe
  • NsCpuCNMiner64.exe
  • nssm.exe
  • server.exe
  • services.exe
  • spoolsvs.exe
  • sppscv.exe
  • svchostm.exe
  • system.exe
  • taskhost.exe
  • Uninsta.exe
  • update.exe
  • windows.exe
  • winlogin.exe
  • WUDFHost.exe
  • WUSDFHost.exe
  • xmr-stak-cpu.exe

Other Details

This Coinminer does the following:

  • It executes the following commands to register its coinminer component as a service to ensure its automatic execution at every system startup:
    • net start finish
    • sc create finish binPath= %Windows%\Help\windows.exe start= auto
    • %Windows%\svchost.exe install "WindowsBitAse_WKUpdate" "%Windows%\Help\windows.exe"
    • %Windows%\svchost.exe start WindowsBitAse_WKUpdate
  • It uses the following details for its mining capabilities:
    • url: xmr.{BLOCKED}-pool.fr:443
    • user: {BLOCKED}f8a3paj5JtSEWaPUGbCvTtKS1YK7eR9Jq1aK7FSKBBTw48kmr9ckfq2hRAdWLcc4ygTECG3Abno6ss1puqJt8NxpX
    • password: x
  • It uses the system's central processing unit (CPU) resources to mine for cryptocurrency. This behavior makes the system run abnormally slow.
  • It executes the following commands to stop/delete services:
    • sc delete bengalwk
    • sc delete Bengalwk
    • sc delete wk
    • sc delete Systemss
    • sc delete WMIserver
    • sc delete WMIservers
    • sc delete WMI
    • sc delete Serv
    • sc delete system_update
    • sc delete system_updatea
    • sc delete Piagnostics Hracking
    • sc stop Client
    • sc delete Client
    • net stop wk

  SOLUTION

Minimum Scan Engine:

9.850

FIRST VSAPI PATTERN FILE:

14.434.02

FIRST VSAPI PATTERN DATE:

10 Aug 2018

VSAPI OPR PATTERN File:

14.435.00

VSAPI OPR PATTERN Date:

11 Aug 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

Restart in Safe Mode

[ Learn More ]

Step 4

Disable this malware service

[ Learn More ]
    • finish
    • WindowsBitAse_WKUpdate

Step 5

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 Startup%\Imagesr.exe.lnk
  • %User Temp%\delay.vbs
  • %Windows%\__tmp_rar_sfx_access_check_{numbers}
  • %Windows%\360.bat
  • %Windows%\Help\32.zip
  • %Windows%\Help\config.json
  • %Windows%\Help\windows.exe
  • %Windows%\Imagesr.exe
  • %Windows%\new.vbs
  • %Windows%\restart_service.txt
  • %Windows%\svchost.exe
  • %Windows%\win.bat

Step 6

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