TSPY_ZBOT.VCH

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 bypasses the Windows firewall. This allows the malware to perform its intended routine without being detected by an installed firewall.

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 copies of itself into the affected system and executes them:

• %Application Data%\{random folder 1}\{random filename 1}.exe

(Note: %Application Data% is the current user's Application Data folder, which is usually C:\Documents and Settings\{user name}\Application Data on Windows 2000, XP, and Server 2003, or C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Roaming on Windows Vista and 7.)

It drops the following component file(s):

• %Application Data%\{random folder 2}\{random filename 2}.{random extension name}
• %Application Data%\{random folder 3}\{random filename 3}.{random extension name}

(Note: %Application Data% is the current user's Application Data folder, which is usually C:\Documents and Settings\{user name}\Application Data on Windows 2000, XP, and Server 2003, or C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Roaming on Windows Vista and 7.)

It injects itself into the following processes running in the affected system's memory:

• explorer.exe

It creates the following folders:

• %Application Data%\{random folder 1}
• %Application Data%\{random folder 2}
• %Application Data%\{random folder 3}

(Note: %Application Data% is the current user's Application Data folder, which is usually C:\Documents and Settings\{user name}\Application Data on Windows 2000, XP, and Server 2003, or C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Roaming on Windows Vista and 7.)

It adds the following mutexes to ensure that only one of its copies runs at any one time:

• Global\{GUID}
• Local\{GUID}

Autostart Technique

This spyware adds the following registry entries to enable its automatic execution at every system startup:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
{random filename 1} = "%Application Data%\{random folder 1}\{random filename 1}.exe"

Other System Modifications

This spyware adds the following registry keys:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
{random letters}

It adds the following registry entries:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
{random letters}
{random letters} = {random values}

It modifies the following registry entries to disable the Windows Firewall settings:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\
Services\SharedAccess\Parameters\
FirewallPolicy\StandardProfile\AuthorizedApplications\
List
%Windows%\explorer.exe = "%Windows%\explorer.exe:*:Enabled:Windows Explorer"

Download Routine

This spyware connects to the following URL(s) to download its configuration file:

• http://{BLOCKED}atthemomenter56.net/ppp/file.php

Information Theft

This spyware s configuration file contains the following information:

• Updated copy of the malware
• List of strings it will monitor usually related to banking
• URL to send stolen information

It gathers the following data:

• Data on Cookies (URLs)
• Email-related information such as account names, email addresses, passwords, server data, and server port