TSPY_ZBOT.THOIBDAI

 Analysis by: Augusto II Remillano

 ALIASES:

Win32/Zbot

 PLATFORM:

Windows

 OVERALL RISK RATING:
 DAMAGE POTENTIAL:
 DISTRIBUTION POTENTIAL:
 REPORTED INFECTION:
 SYSTEM IMPACT RATING:
 INFORMATION EXPOSURE:

  • Threat Type: Trojan Spy

  • Destructiveness: No

  • Encrypted: Yes

  • In the wild: Yes

  OVERVIEW

Infection Channel:

Dropped by other malware, Downloaded from the Internet

This Trojan Spy arrives on a system as a file dropped by other malware or as a file downloaded unknowingly by users when visiting malicious sites.

It is injected into all running processes to remain memory resident.

It steals certain information from the system and/or the user.

However, as of this writing, the said sites are inaccessible. It deletes the initially executed copy of itself.

  TECHNICAL DETAILS

File Size:

345,600 bytes

File Type:

EXE

Memory Resident:

Yes

Initial Samples Received Date:

19 Sep 2018

Payload:

Drops files, Connects to URLs/IPs, Modifies system registry, Steals information, Collects system information, Downloads files, Executes files

Arrival Details

This Trojan Spy 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 Spy drops the following copies of itself into the affected system and executes them:

  • %Application Data%\{second deepest directory path}\{random filename}

(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, 7, and 8.)

It is injected into all running processes to remain memory resident.

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

  • Local\{GUID}
  • Global\{GUID}

Other System Modifications

This Trojan Spy adds the following registry keys:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
{random registry key name}

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Internet Explorer\PhishingFilter

It adds the following registry entries:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Internet Explorer\PhishingFilter
EnabledV8 = "0"

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

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings
EnableSPDY3_0 = "0"

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
{random registry key name}
{random registry entry name} = "{hex value}"

Dropping Routine

This Trojan Spy drops the following files:

  • %User Temp%\tmp{random}.bat - Used to delete initially executed copy of itself
  • %Application Data%\{deepest directory path}\{random filename 1}.{random file extension 1}
  • %Application Data%\{deepest directory path}\{random filename 2}.{random file extension 2}

(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, 7, and 8.. %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, 7, and 8.)

Information Theft

This Trojan Spy accesses the following site to download its configuration file:

  • http://{BLOCKED}y.su/anime.jpg
  • http://{BLOCKED}p.su/girls.jpg

It steals the following information:

  • Data on cookie files (URLs)
  • Email-related information such as account names, email addresses, passwords, server data, and server port
  • Email information stored in the user's Windows Address Book (WAB) file
  • Online banking credentials
  • Personal digital certificate

It gathers the following account information from any of the mentioned File Transfer Protocol (FTP) clients or file manager software:

  • FAR Manager FTP
  • FTPWare
  • Total Commander

Other Details

This Trojan Spy connects to the following URL(s) to check for an Internet connection:

  • http://{BLOCKED}x.ru/

It does the following:

  • Receive configuration file.
    The received configuration file may contain URLs where it downloads an updated copy of itself and where it sends its gathered information. It may also contain URLs of its target online banking and finance-related sites from where it steals the information. Note that the contents of the file, hence the list of websites to monitor, may change anytime.
  • The random file names used by the Trojan Spy is based on files located in the %Application Data% directory of the affected machine

(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, 7, and 8.)

However, as of this writing, the said sites are inaccessible.

It deletes the initially executed copy of itself

  SOLUTION

Minimum Scan Engine:

9.850

FIRST VSAPI PATTERN FILE:

14.530.05

FIRST VSAPI PATTERN DATE:

27 Sep 2018

VSAPI OPR PATTERN File:

14.531.00

VSAPI OPR PATTERN Date:

28 Sep 2018

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

[ Learn More ]

Step 4

Reset Internet security settings

[ Learn More ]

Step 5

Restart in normal mode and scan your computer with your Trend Micro product for files detected as TSPY_ZBOT.THOIBDAI. 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 6

The following created files/folders/registry keys/registry entries cannot be identified by the user since there are no reference values in the created key. The only way it can be identified is by comparing the present system information with a backup. Note that the said components do not have to be deleted since it won't be harmful to the system.

  • %Application Data%\{deepest directory path}\{random filename 1}.{random file extension 1}
  • %Application Data%\{deepest directory path}\{random filename 2}.{random file extension 2}
  • %User Temp%\tmp{random}.bat
  • HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\{random registry key name}
  • HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\{random registry key name}<br>{registry entry name} = "{hex value}"


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