WORM_GONER.A

 Analysis by: Cris Nowell Pantanilla

 PLATFORM:

Windows

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

  • Threat Type: Trojan

  • Destructiveness: No

  • Encrypted: No

  • In the wild: Yes

  OVERVIEW

Infection Channel:

Spammed via email


This Trojan arrives as an attachment to email messages spammed by other malware/grayware or malicious users.

It gathers target email addresses from the Windows Address Book (WAB).

It joins an Internet Relay Chat (IRC) channel. It executes commands from a remote malicious user, effectively compromising the affected system. It may also connect to Internet Relay Chat (IRC) servers and receive commands from a remote user.

  TECHNICAL DETAILS

File Size:

154113 bytes

File Type:

EXE

Memory Resident:

No

Initial Samples Received Date:

15 Jan 2015

Payload:

Compromises system security, Terminates processes

Arrival Details

This Trojan arrives as an attachment to email messages spammed by other malware/grayware or malicious users.

Autostart Technique

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

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
%System%\gone.scr = %System%\gone.scr

Propagation

This Trojan gathers target email addresses from the Windows Address Book (WAB).

It sends copies of itself to target recipients using the following instant-messaging (IM) applications:

  • ICQ

Backdoor Routine

This Trojan joins any of the following Internet Relay Chat (IRC) channels:

  • #pentagonex

It executes the following commands from a remote malicious user:

  • DDos
  • Flood Channel
  • Send private message
  • Send copies of itself

It may also connect to Internet Relay Chat (IRC) servers and receive commands from a remote user.

Process Termination

This Trojan terminates the following processes if found running in the affected system's memory:

  • Aplica32.exe
  • Avconsol.exe
  • Avp.exe
  • Avp32.exe
  • Avpcc.exe
  • Avpm.exe
  • Cfiadmin.exe
  • Cfiaudit.exe
  • Cfinet32.exe
  • Esafe.exe
  • Frw.exe
  • Icload95.exe
  • Icloadnt.exe
  • Icmon.exe
  • Icsupp95.exe
  • Icsuppnt.exe
  • Lockdown2000.exe
  • Navapw32.exe
  • Navw32.exe
  • Pcfwallicon.exe
  • Safeweb.exe
  • Tds2-98.exe
  • Tds2-Nt.exe
  • Vsecomr.exe
  • Vshwin32.exe
  • Vsstat.exe
  • Webscanx.exe
  • Zonealarm.exe
  • _Avp32.exe
  • _Avpcc.exe
  • _Avpm.exe

  SOLUTION

Minimum Scan Engine:

9.700

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\Run
    • %System%\gone.scr = %System%\gone.scr

Step 3

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


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