TSPY_PASSTEALER.A

May 12, 2015
 ALIASES:

RDN/Spybot.bfr!q (McAfee); Trojan.MSIL.Agent.aaskk (Kaspersky); Mal/MSIL-ND (Sophos); Trojan.Win32.Generic!BT (Sunbelt); Trojan horse MSIL7.CBXM (AVG)

 PLATFORM:

Windows

 OVERALL RISK RATING:
 REPORTED INFECTION:
 SYSTEM IMPACT RATING:
 INFORMATION EXPOSURE:

  • Threat Type: Spyware

  • Destructiveness: No

  • Encrypted:

  • In the wild: Yes

  OVERVIEW

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.

  TECHNICAL DETAILS

File Size:

423,424 bytes

File Type:

EXE

Memory Resident:

No

Initial Samples Received Date:

12 May 2015

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:

  • %User Profile%\Windows\hknswc.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.)

Other System Modifications

This spyware deletes the following files:

  • {malware path and file name}:zone.identifier
  • %User Profile%\Windows\AppMgnt.exe:Zone.Identifier
  • %User Profile%\Windows\hknswc.exe:Zone.Identifier

(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 adds the following registry entries:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\policies\
system
ConsentPromptBehaviorAdmin = "0"

Dropping Routine

This spyware drops the following files:

  • %User Profile%\Windows\AppMgnt.exe
  • %User Temp%\passwordfox.exe
  • %User Temp%\iepv.exe
  • %User Temp%\mailpv.exe
  • %User Temp%\firefox.txt
  • %User Temp%\ie.txt

(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.. %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.)

Other Details

This spyware connects to the following possibly malicious URL:

  • {BLOCKED}.162.163

This report is generated via an automated analysis system.

  SOLUTION

Minimum Scan Engine:

9.750

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

Delete this registry value

[ Learn More ]

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\policies\system
    • ConsentPromptBehaviorAdmin = "0"

Step 3

Search and delete these components

[ Learn More ]
There may be some components that are hidden. Please make sure you check the Search Hidden Files and Folders checkbox in the "More advanced options" option to include all hidden files and folders in the search result.
  • %User Profile%\Windows\AppMgnt.exe
  • %User Temp%\passwordfox.exe
  • %User Temp%\iepv.exe
  • %User Temp%\mailpv.exe
  • %User Temp%\firefox.txt
  • %User Temp%\ie.txt

Step 4

Scan your computer with your Trend Micro product to delete files detected as TSPY_PASSTEALER.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.

Step 5

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%\Windows\AppMgnt.exe:Zone.Identifier
  • %User Profile%\Windows\hknswc.exe:Zone.Identifier


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