HKTL_MONITOR
Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003
Threat Type: Hacking Tool
Destructiveness: No
Encrypted:
In the wild: Yes
OVERVIEW
This hacking tool 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
2,412,032 bytes
EXE
Yes
08 Jan 2014
Arrival Details
This hacking tool 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 hacking tool creates the following folders:
- %Start Menu%\Programs\Ard?m?x Keylogger 4.0.4
- %User Profile%\application data\{malware file name}
(Note: %Start Menu% is the current user's Start Menu folder, which is usually C:\Windows\Start Menu or C:\Documents and Settings\{User name}\Start Menu on Windows 2000, XP, and Server 2003, or C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu on Windows Vista and 7.. %User Profile% is the current user's profile folder, which is usually C:\Documents and Settings\{user name} on Windows 2000, XP, and Server 2003, or C:\Users\{user name} on Windows Vista and 7.)
Autostart Technique
This hacking tool adds the following registry entries to enable its automatic execution at every system startup:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
{malware file name} start = "{malware path and file name}"
Other System Modifications
This hacking tool adds the following registry keys:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\
Ard?m?x Keylogger 4.0.4
It adds the following registry entries:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\
Ard?m?x Keylogger 4.0.4
DisplayName = "Ard?m?x Keylogger 4.0.4"
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\
Ard?m?x Keylogger 4.0.4
UninstallString = "%System Root%\Uninstall.exe"
Dropping Routine
This hacking tool drops the following files:
- %Start Menu%\Programs\Ard?m?x Keylogger 4.0.4\Ard?m?x Keylogger 4.0.4.lnk
- %User Profile%\{malware file name}\{malware file name}.004
(Note: %Start Menu% is the current user's Start Menu folder, which is usually C:\Windows\Start Menu or C:\Documents and Settings\{User name}\Start Menu on Windows 2000, XP, and Server 2003, or C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu on Windows Vista and 7.. %User Profile% is the current user's profile folder, which is usually C:\Documents and Settings\{user name} on Windows 2000, XP, and Server 2003, or C:\Users\{user name} on Windows Vista and 7.)
This report is generated via an automated analysis system.
SOLUTION
9.300
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
Restart in Safe Mode
Step 3
Delete this registry key
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\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall
- Ard?m?x Keylogger 4.0.4
Step 4
Delete this registry value
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\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
- {malware file name} start = "{malware path and file name}"
- In HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\Ard?m?x Keylogger 4.0.4
- DisplayName = "Ard?m?x Keylogger 4.0.4"
- In HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\Ard?m?x Keylogger 4.0.4
- UninstallString = "%System Root%\Uninstall.exe"
Step 5
Search and delete these components
- %Start Menu%\Programs\Ard?m?x Keylogger 4.0.4\Ard?m?x Keylogger 4.0.4.lnk
- %User Profile%\{malware file name}\{malware file name}.004
Step 6
Search and delete these folders
- %Start Menu%\Programs\Ard?m?x Keylogger 4.0.4
- %User Profile%\application data\{malware file name}
Step 7
Restart in normal mode and scan your computer with your Trend Micro product for files detected as HKTL_MONITOR. 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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