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PUA.Win32.MyWebSearch.HT

April 26, 2019
 Analysis by: John Anthony Banes
 ALIASES:

Win32/Toolbar.MyWebSearch.BA (NOD32)

 PLATFORM:

Windows

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

  • Threat Type: Potentially Unwanted Application

  • Destructiveness: No

  • Encrypted:

  • In the wild: Yes

  OVERVIEW


This Potentially Unwanted Application arrives on a system as a file dropped by other malware or as a file downloaded unknowingly by users when visiting malicious sites. It may be manually installed by a user.

It modifies the user's Internet Explorer home page into a certain website. This action allows the malware to point to a website which may contain malware, putting the affected computer at greater risk of malware infection.

  TECHNICAL DETAILS

File Size:

384,168 bytes

File Type:

EXE

Memory Resident:

No

Initial Samples Received Date:

25 Apr 2019

Arrival Details

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

It may be manually installed by a user.

Installation

This Potentially Unwanted Application adds the following folders:

  • %AppDataLocal%\EasyPDFCombineTooltab
  • %User Temp%\ns{random}.tmp

(Note: %AppDataLocal% is the Local Application Data folder, which is usually C:\Documents and Settings\{user name}\Local Settings\Application Data on Windows 2000, XP, and Server 2003, or C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Local on Windows Vista, 7, and 8.. %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.)

It drops the following files:

  • %AppDataLocal%\EasyPDFCombineTooltab\TooltabExtension.dll
  • %User Temp%\ns{random}.tmp\cancel_JPN_1496771314340.bmp
  • %User Temp%\ns{random}.tmp\EasyPDFCombine_jpn_msi_bg-copy_{numbers}.bmp
  • %User Temp%\ns{random}.tmp\installerParams
  • %User Temp%\ns{random}.tmp\Install_JPN_{numbers}.bmp
  • %User Temp%\ns{random}.tmp\nsDialogs.dll
  • %User Temp%\ns{random}.tmp\reporting
  • %User Temp%\ns{random}.tmp\secondary_accept.png
  • %User Temp%\ns{random}.tmp\secondary_bg.png
  • %User Temp%\ns{random}.tmp\secondary_decline.png
  • %User Temp%\ns{random}.tmp\System.dll

(Note: %AppDataLocal% is the Local Application Data folder, which is usually C:\Documents and Settings\{user name}\Local Settings\Application Data on Windows 2000, XP, and Server 2003, or C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Local on Windows Vista, 7, and 8.. %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.)

Other System Modifications

This Potentially Unwanted Application adds the following registry keys:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\EasyPDFCombine

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\
EasyPDFCombineTooltab Uninstall Internet Explorer

It adds the following registry entries:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Internet Explorer\Main
Start Page = http://hp.myway.com/easypdfcombine/lmjajp/index.html?n=78582535&p2=^BSB^mni000^LMJAJP&ptb=48C0F04B-07AD-488D-B04F-047A850737CD&coid=770921889fdf4c06b68b3c97f4309753

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\EasyPDFCombine
Start Page = http://hp.myway.com/easypdfcombine/lmjajp/index.html?n=78582535&p2=^BSB^mni000^LMJAJP&ptb=48C0F04B-07AD-488D-B04F-047A850737CD&coid=770921889fdf4c06b68b3c97f4309753

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\
EasyPDFCombineTooltab Uninstall Internet Explorer
DisplayName = EasyPDFCombine Internet Explorer Homepage and New Tab

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\
EasyPDFCombineTooltab Uninstall Internet Explorer
UninstallString = Rundll32.exe "C:\Users\dyitusr\AppData\Local\EasyPDFCombineTooltab\TooltabExtension.dll" U uninstall:EasyPDFCombine

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\
EasyPDFCombineTooltab Uninstall Internet Explorer
Publisher = Mindspark Interactive Network, Inc.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\
EasyPDFCombineTooltab Uninstall Internet Explorer
HelpLink = http://support.mindspark.com/

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\
EasyPDFCombineTooltab Uninstall Internet Explorer
URLInfoAbout = http://support.mindspark.com/

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\EasyPDFCombine
UnInstallSurveyUrl = http://@{downloadDomain}.dl.myway.com/uninstall.jhtml?c=48C0F04B-07AD-488D-B04F-047A850737CD&ptb=^BSB^mni000^LMJAJP

Web Browser Home Page and Search Page Modification

This Potentially Unwanted Application modifies the user's Internet Explorer home page to the following websites:

  • http://hp.myway.com/easypdfcombine/lmjajp/index.html?n=78582535&p2=^BSB^mni000^LMJAJP&ptb=48C0F04B-07AD-488D-B04F-047A850737CD&coid=770921889fdf4c06b68b3c97f4309753

Other Details

This Potentially Unwanted Application connects to the following possibly malicious URL:

  • http://anx.{BLOCKED}ark.com/anx.gif?anxa=CAPDownloadProcess&anxe=Error&errorCode=-16&errorType=nsisError&errorDetails=&platform=vicinio&anxv=2.7.1.3000&anxd=2018-08-16&coid=&refPartner=^BSB^mni000^LMJAJP&refSub=&anxl=en-US&anxr=-2041237977&refCobrand=BSB&refCampaign=mni000&refTrack=LMJAJP&refCountry=
  • http://anx.{BLOCKED}ark.com/anx.gif?anxa=CAPDownloadProcess&anxe=Error&errorCode=-8&errorType=nsisError&errorDetails=1%2Eexe&platform=vicinio&anxv=2.7.1.3000&anxd=2018-08-16&coid=a1d66affca9b482a88c56df53739ad64&refPartner=^BSB^mni000^LMJAJP&refSub=&anxl=en-US&anxr=-2017220350&refCobrand=BSB&refCampaign=mni000&refTrack=LMJAJP&refCountry=
  • https://dp.tb.{BLOCKED}k.com/installerParams.jhtml?coId=a1d66affca9b482a88c56df53739ad64
  • http://anx.{BLOCKED}ark.com/anx.gif?anxa=CAPDownloadProcess&anxe=InstallerInvoked&platform=vicinio&anxv=2.7.1.3000&anxd=2018-08-16&coid=a1d66affca9b482a88c56df53739ad64&refPartner=^BSB^mni000^LMJAJP&refSub=&anxl=en-US&anxr=-2049236370&refCobrand=BSB&refCampaign=mni000&refTrack=LMJAJP&refCountry=
  • http://anx.{BLOCKED}ark.com/anx.gif?anxa=CAPDownloadProcess&anxe=Error&errorCode=-13&errorType=nsisError&errorDetails=EmptyPartnerId&platform=vicinio&anxv=2.7.1.3000&anxd=2018-08-16&coid=a1d66affca9b482a88c56df53739ad64&refPartner=^BSB^mni000^LMJAJP&refSub=&anxl=en-US&anxr=2079580721&refCobrand=BSB&refCampaign=mni000&refTrack=LMJAJP&refCountry=
  • http://hp.{BLOCKED}y.com/easypdfcombine/lmjajp/index.html?n=78582535&p2=^BSB^mni000^LMJAJP&ptb=761CD675-1635-4A17-8E0B-672AB3D9733B&coid=a1d66affca9b482a88c56df53739ad64

  SOLUTION

Minimum Scan Engine:

9.850

SSAPI PATTERN File:

2.163.00

SSAPI PATTERN Date:

04 Apr 2019

Step 1

Before doing any scans, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, and Windows 10 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

Remove PUA.Win32.MyWebSearch.HT by using its own Uninstall option

[ Learn More ]
To uninstall the grayware process

Step 4

Scan your computer with your Trend Micro product to delete files detected as PUA.Win32.MyWebSearch.HT. 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 the following Trend Micro Support pages for more information:

Step 5

Reset the Internet Explorer Home and Search pages

[ Learn More ]


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