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WORM_BUZUS.ACTQ

November 16, 2012
 Analysis by: Mark Joseph Manahan
 ALIASES:

W32/SDBot-DNK (Sophos), W32/Injector.fam!tr (Fortinet), W32/Trojan2.BADM (exact) (FPROT), Trojan.Win32.Agent (Ikarus), VirTool:Win32/Injector.gen!D (Microsoft), Generic Dropper.bt (McAfee), Win32/AutoRun.KS worm (Eset), Trojan Horse (Symantec), Trj/Buzus.CZ (Panda), FraudTool.Win32.InternetProtection.ek!a (v) (Sunbelt), W32/Almanahe.B (Antivir)

 PLATFORM:

Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003

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

  • Threat Type: Worm

  • Destructiveness: No

  • Encrypted: Yes

  • In the wild: Yes

  OVERVIEW

Infection Channel:

Dropped by other malware, Downloaded from the Internet, Propagates via removable drives, Copies itself in all available physical drives


This worm arrives via removable drives. It arrives on a system as a file dropped by other malware or as a file downloaded unknowingly by users when visiting malicious sites.

It creates folders in all physical and removable drives. It drops an AUTORUN.INF file to automatically execute the copies it drops when a user accesses the drives of an affected system.

It executes commands from a remote malicious user, effectively compromising the affected system.

  TECHNICAL DETAILS

File Size:

63,488 bytes

File Type:

EXE

Memory Resident:

Yes

Initial Samples Received Date:

15 Nov 2012

Payload:

Compromises system security, Connects to URLs/IPs

Arrival Details

This worm arrives via removable drives.

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

  • qlp-6+094997__

It injects codes into the following process(es):

  • explorer.exe

Autostart Technique

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

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Active Setup\Installed Components\{X9OBC5C0-4FCB-11CF-AAX5-81CX1C635612}
StubPath = "%System Root%\driver\S-1-4-89-654352344-54323413-6452342-4545\svchost.exe"

Other System Modifications

This worm adds the following registry keys:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Active Setup\Installed Components\{X9OBC5C0-4FCB-11CF-AAX5-81CX1C635612}

Propagation

This worm creates the following folders in all physical and removable drives:

  • {drive letter}:\driver
  • {drive letter}:\driver\S-1-4-89-654352344-54323413-6452342-4545

It drops the following copies of itself in all physical and removable drives:

  • {drive letter}:\driver\S-1-4-89-654352344-54323413-6452342-4545\svchost.exe

It drops an AUTORUN.INF file to automatically execute the copies it drops when a user accesses the drives of an affected system.

The said .INF file contains the following strings:

[autorun]
open=driver\S-1-4-89-654352344-54323413-6452342-4545\svchost.exe
Microsoft
action=Open folder to view files
shell\open=Open
shell\open\command=driver\S-1-4-89-654352344-54323413-6452342-4545\svchost.exe
usbmgr

Backdoor Routine

This worm executes the following commands from a remote malicious user:

  • Perform UDP DDOS
  • Perform SYN Flood
  • Download updated copy of itself
  • Download arbitrary files
  • Execute files
  • Uninstall itself

It connects to the following URL(s) to send and receive commands from a remote malicious user:

  • {BLOCKED}s.ath.cx
  • {BLOCKED}s.sytes.net

  SOLUTION

Minimum Scan Engine:

9.300

FIRST VSAPI PATTERN FILE:

9.528.02

FIRST VSAPI PATTERN DATE:

15 Nov 2012

VSAPI OPR PATTERN File:

9.529.00

Step 1

For Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 users, before doing any scans, please make sure you disable System Restore to allow full scanning of your computer.

Step 2

Restart in Safe Mode

[ Learn More ]

Step 3

Delete this registry key

[ 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\Active Setup\Installed Components
    • {X9OBC5C0-4FCB-11CF-AAX5-81CX1C635612}

Step 4

Search and delete these folders

[ Learn More ]
Please make sure you check the Search Hidden Files and Folders checkbox in the More advanced options option to include all hidden folders in the search result.
  • {drive letter}:\driver
  • {drive letter}:\driver\S-1-4-89-654352344-54323413-6452342-4545

Step 5

Search and delete AUTORUN.INF files created by WORM_BUZUS.ACTQ that contain these strings

[ Learn More ]

[autorun]
open=driver\S-1-4-89-654352344-54323413-6452342-4545\svchost.exe
Microsoft
  • action=Open folder to view files
    shell\open=Open
  • shell\open\command=driver\S-1-4-89-654352344-54323413-6452342-4545\svchost.exe
    usbmgr

    • Step 6

    Restart in normal mode and scan your computer with your Trend Micro product for files detected as WORM_BUZUS.ACTQ. 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.


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