JS_MORPHE.AI

July 31, 2013

Analysis by: Alvin Bacani

PLATFORM:

Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003, Windows XP (32-bit, 64-bit), Windows Vista (32-bit, 64-bit), Windows 7 (32-bit, 64-bit)

OVERALL RISK RATING:

DAMAGE POTENTIAL:

DISTRIBUTION POTENTIAL:

REPORTED INFECTION:

INFORMATION EXPOSURE:

Threat Type: Worm
Destructiveness: No
Encrypted: Yes
In the wild: Yes

OVERVIEW

This worm 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:

46,972 bytes

File Type:

Memory Resident:

Yes

Initial Samples Received Date:

29 Jul 2013

Arrival Details

This worm 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 worm adds the following folders:

%System Root%\{random}
%Application Data%\{random}
%User Temp%\{random}

(Note: %System Root% is the root folder, which is usually C:\. It is also where the operating system is located.. %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.. %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.)

It drops the following files:

%System Root%\{random}\{random filename}

(Note: %System Root% is the root folder, which is usually C:\. It is also where the operating system is located.)

It drops the following copies of itself into the affected system:

%Application Data%\{random}\{random filename}.js
%User Temp%\{random}\{random filename}.js
%Program Files%\{random}\{random filename}.js
%All Users Profile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup\{random filename}.js
%User Profile%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup\{random filename}.js

(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.. %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.. %Program Files% is the default Program Files folder, usually C:\Program Files in Windows 2000, Server 2003, and XP (32-bit), Vista (32-bit), and 7 (32-bit), or C:\Program Files (x86) in Windows XP (64-bit), Vista (64-bit), and 7 (64-bit).. %All Users Profile% is the All Users or Common profile folder, which is C:\Documents and Settings\All Users in Windows 2000, XP, and Server 2003, and C:\ProgramData in 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 worm creates the following registry entries to enable automatic execution of dropped component at every system startup:

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

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
{random} = "%Application Data%\{random}\{random filename}.js"

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

%User Startup%\{random filename}.js

(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, and C:\Documents and Settings\{User name}\Start Menu\Programs\Startup.)

Other System Modifications

This worm adds the following registry entries as part of its installation routine:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\
Explorer
NoControlPanel = "1"

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\
Explorer
NoWindowsUpdate = "1"

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\
Explorer
NofolderOptions = "1"

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\
Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Control Panel
HomePage = "1"

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings
ProxyEnable = "0"

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Security Center\Svc
FirewallDisableNotify = "1"

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Security Center\Svc
AntiVirusDisableNotify = "1"

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Security Center\Svc
FirewallOverride = "1"

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\
Advanced
Hidden = "2"

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\
Advanced
HideFileExt = "1"

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\policies
DisableTaskMgr = "1"

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\policies
NoDispCPL = "1"

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\policies
DisableRegistryTools = "1"

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\policies
DisableCMD = "1"

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Windows NT\CurrentVersion
SystemRestoreDisableSR = "1"

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\
Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Control Panel
HomePage = "1"

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\
Microsoft\MRT
DontReportInfectionInformation = "1"

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\
Microsoft\Windows NT\SystemRestore
DisableConfig = "1"

It modifies the following registry entries:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings
MigrateProxy = "0"

(Note: The default value data of the said registry entry is "1".)

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Security Center
AntiVirusOverride = "1"