TSPY_ILMEYL.A
PWSZbot-FADS!5750FDD216AD (McAfee),Infostealer.Limitail(Symantec)
Windows
Threat Type: Spyware
Destructiveness: No
Encrypted: Yes
In the wild: Yes
OVERVIEW
Downloaded from the Internet
This spyware arrives on a system as a file dropped by other malware or as a file downloaded unknowingly by users when visiting malicious sites.
It logs a user's keystrokes to steal information.
TECHNICAL DETAILS
2,014,208 bytes
EXE
Yes
29 Oct 2014
Connects to URLs/IPs, Sends messages
Arrival Details
This spyware 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 spyware drops the following file(s)/component(s):
- %User Temp%\FB_{random 1}.tmp.exe
- %User Temp%\FB_{random 2}.tmp.exe
- %User Temp%\FB_{random 3}.tmp.exe
- %User Temp%\notepad.exe
- %Application Data%\iexplorer.exe -Detected as TSPY_ILMEYL.A
- %Application Data%\Updaters\{random number}
- %Application Data%\Updaters\GoogleUpdaters.exe.lnk - lnk to its drop file
- %Application Data%\ChromeUpdaters\{random number}
- %Application Data%\ChromeUpdaters\ChromeUpdaters.exe.lnk - lnk to its drop file
- %Application Data%\Updaters\GoogleUpdaters.exe
- %Application Data%\ChromeUpdaters\ChromeUpdaters.exe
(Note: %User Temp% is the user's temporary folder, where it usually is C:\Documents and Settings\{user name}\Local Settings\Temp on Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003, and Windows XP (32- and 64-bit); C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Local\Temp 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.. %Application Data% is the Application Data folder, where it usually is C:\Documents and Settings\{user name}\Application Data on Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003, and Windows XP (32- and 64-bit); C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Roaming 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.)
It drops the following non-malicious files:
- %Application Data%\pid.txt
- %Application Data%\pidloc.txt
- %User Temp%\dw.log
(Note: %Application Data% is the Application Data folder, where it usually is C:\Documents and Settings\{user name}\Application Data on Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003, and Windows XP (32- and 64-bit); C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Roaming 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.. %User Temp% is the user's temporary folder, where it usually is C:\Documents and Settings\{user name}\Local Settings\Temp on Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003, and Windows XP (32- and 64-bit); C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Local\Temp 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.)
It creates the following folders:
- %Application Data%\Updaters
- %Application Data%\ChromeUpdaters
- %User Temp%\#folder#
(Note: %Application Data% is the Application Data folder, where it usually is C:\Documents and Settings\{user name}\Application Data on Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003, and Windows XP (32- and 64-bit); C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Roaming 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.. %User Temp% is the user's temporary folder, where it usually is C:\Documents and Settings\{user name}\Local Settings\Temp on Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003, and Windows XP (32- and 64-bit); C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Local\Temp 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.)
Autostart Technique
This spyware adds the following registry entries to enable its automatic execution at every system startup:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon
shell = "%Application Data%\ChromeUpdaters\ChromeUpdaters.exe,explorer.exe"
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon
shell = "%Application Data%\Updaters\GoogleUpdaters.exe,explorer.exe"
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
(Default) = "%Application Data%\iexplorer.exe"
Other System Modifications
This spyware adds the following registry keys:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
ESENT\Process\FB_{random 1}.tmp
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
ESENT\Process\FB_{random 1}.tmp\
DEBUG
It adds the following registry entries:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
ESENT\Process\FB_{random 1}.tmp\
DEBUG
Trace Level = ""
Dropping Routine
This spyware drops the following files:
- %User Temp%\{hostname of affected system}{date and time}.gif -captured screenshot of the system
(Note: %User Temp% is the user's temporary folder, where it usually is C:\Documents and Settings\{user name}\Local Settings\Temp on Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003, and Windows XP (32- and 64-bit); C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Local\Temp 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.)
Information Theft
This spyware gathers the following data:
- Capture screenshot
- Host name
- Local time
- operating system version
- Windows key
- Available physical memory
- Available virtual memory
- Process name of the keylogged information
It logs a user's keystrokes to steal information.
Other Details
This spyware connects to the following URL(s) to get the affected system's IP address:
- whatismyipaddress.com
NOTES:
This spyware uses the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) server smtp.google.com to send an email. It uses the email address {BLOCKED}rri1@gmail.com to compose a message.
The email contains the gathered data including the keylogging activity. It also attaches the captured screenshot. It sends the email contents to mbaowerri@blumail.org.
SOLUTION
9.700
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
Step 4
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\ESENT\Process
- FB_{random 1}.tmp
- FB_{random 1}.tmp
Step 5
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 NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon
- shell = "%Application Data%\ChromeUpdaters\ChromeUpdaters.exe,explorer.exe"
- shell = "%Application Data%\ChromeUpdaters\ChromeUpdaters.exe,explorer.exe"
- In HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon
- shell = "%Application Data%\Updaters\GoogleUpdaters.exe,explorer.exe"
- shell = "%Application Data%\Updaters\GoogleUpdaters.exe,explorer.exe"
- In HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
- (Default) = "%Application Data%\iexplorer.exe"
- (Default) = "%Application Data%\iexplorer.exe"
Step 6
Search and delete these folders
- %Application Data%\Updaters
- %Application Data%\ChromeUpdaters
- %User Temp%\#folder#
Step 7
Search and delete these files
- %User Temp%\FB_{random 1}.tmp.exe
- %User Temp%\FB_{random 2}.tmp.exe
- %User Temp%\FB_{random 3}.tmp.exe
- %User Temp%\notepad.exe
- %Application Data%\iexplorer.exe
- %Application Data%\pid.txt
- %Application Data%\pidloc.txt
- %User Temp%\dw.log
- %User Temp%\{hostname of affected system}{date and time}.gif
Step 8
Restart in normal mode and scan your computer with your Trend Micro product for files detected as TSPY_ILMEYL.A. 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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