TROJ_FAKEAV.SMXM
Rogue:Win32/FakeRean (Microsoft); FakeAlert-Rena.cw (McAfee); Trojan.FakeAV!gen90 (Symantec); Trojan.Win32.Yakes.qku (Kaspersky); Trojan.Win32.Generic!BT (Sunbelt); Gen:Variant.Kazy.59149 (FSecure)
Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003
Threat Type: Trojan
Destructiveness: No
Encrypted:
In the wild: Yes
OVERVIEW
This Trojan 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
4,009,987 bytes
EXE
Yes
25 Apr 2012
Arrival Details
This Trojan 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 Trojan drops the following copies of itself into the affected system:
- %User Profile%\Antivirus Protection 2012\securityhelper.exe
(Note: %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.)
It creates the following folders:
- %Start Menu%\Programs\Antivirus Protection 2012
- %User Profile%\Application Data\Antivirus Protection 2012
(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 Trojan adds the following registry entries to enable its automatic execution at every system startup:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
98fvq9usfw47 = "{malware path and file name}"
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
Antivirus Protection 2012 SM = "%User Profile%\Antivirus Protection 2012\securitymanager.exe"
Other System Modifications
This Trojan deletes the following files:
- {malware path and file name}:zone.identifier
- %User Profile%\Antivirus Protection 2012\securityhelper.exe
(Note: %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.)
Dropping Routine
This Trojan drops the following files:
- %User Temp%\_1.tmpac7d.exe
- %Start Menu%\Programs\Antivirus Protection 2012.lnk
- %Desktop%\Antivirus Protection 2012.lnk
- %Start Menu%\Programs\Antivirus Protection 2012\Antivirus Protection 2012.lnk
- %Start Menu%\Programs\Antivirus Protection 2012\Activate Antivirus Protection 2012.lnk
- %Start Menu%\Programs\Antivirus Protection 2012\How to Activate Antivirus Protection 2012.lnk
- %Start Menu%\Programs\Antivirus Protection 2012\Help Antivirus Protection 2012.lnk
- %User Profile%\Quick Launch\Antivirus Protection 2012.lnk
- %User Profile%\Antivirus Protection 2012\IcoActivate.ico
- %User Profile%\Antivirus Protection 2012\IcoHelp.ico
- %User Profile%\Antivirus Protection 2012\IcoUninstall.ico
- %User Profile%\Antivirus Protection 2012\AntivirusProtection2012.exe
- %User Profile%\Antivirus Protection 2012\securitymanager.exe
(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 and 7.. %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.. %Desktop% is the current user's desktop, which is usually C:\Documents and Settings\{User Name}\Desktop on Windows 2000, XP, and Server 2003, or C:\Users\{user name}\Desktop 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
9.200
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 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_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
- 98fvq9usfw47 = "{malware path and file name}"
- In HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
- Antivirus Protection 2012 SM = "%User Profile%\Antivirus Protection 2012\securitymanager.exe"
Step 4
Search and delete these components
- %User Temp%\_1.tmpac7d.exe
- %Start Menu%\Programs\Antivirus Protection 2012.lnk
- %Desktop%\Antivirus Protection 2012.lnk
- %Start Menu%\Programs\Antivirus Protection 2012\Antivirus Protection 2012.lnk
- %Start Menu%\Programs\Antivirus Protection 2012\Activate Antivirus Protection 2012.lnk
- %Start Menu%\Programs\Antivirus Protection 2012\How to Activate Antivirus Protection 2012.lnk
- %Start Menu%\Programs\Antivirus Protection 2012\Help Antivirus Protection 2012.lnk
- %User Profile%\Quick Launch\Antivirus Protection 2012.lnk
- %User Profile%\Antivirus Protection 2012\IcoActivate.ico
- %User Profile%\Antivirus Protection 2012\IcoHelp.ico
- %User Profile%\Antivirus Protection 2012\IcoUninstall.ico
- %User Profile%\Antivirus Protection 2012\AntivirusProtection2012.exe
- %User Profile%\Antivirus Protection 2012\securitymanager.exe
Step 5
Search and delete these folders
- %Start Menu%\Programs\Antivirus Protection 2012
- %User Profile%\Application Data\Antivirus Protection 2012
Step 6
Restart in normal mode and scan your computer with your Trend Micro product for files detected as TROJ_FAKEAV.SMXM. 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.
Step 7
Restore this file from backup only Microsoft-related files will be restored. If this malware/grayware also deleted files related to programs that are not from Microsoft, please reinstall those programs on you computer again.
- {malware path and file name}:zone.identifier
- %User Profile%\Antivirus Protection 2012\securityhelper.exe
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