ADW_KMSSEARCH

September 22, 2014
 Analysis by: RonJay Kristoffer Caragay
 ALIASES:

Downloader.Win32.Montiera.b (Kaspersky);

 PLATFORM:

Windows

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

  • Threat Type: Adware

  • Destructiveness: No

  • Encrypted:

  • In the wild: Yes

  OVERVIEW

This adware 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:

1,099,624 bytes

File Type:

EXE

Memory Resident:

No

Initial Samples Received Date:

08 Sep 2014

Arrival Details

This adware 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 adware adds the following folders:

  • %Application Data%\onlysearch
  • %Application Data%\onlysearch\onlysearch\1.3.12.9

(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 and 7.)

It drops the following files:

  • %Application Data%\onlysearch\onlysearch\1.3.12.9\app.ini
  • %Application Data%\onlysearch\onlysearch\1.3.12.9\omujNgfp.dll
  • %Application Data%\onlysearch\onlysearch\1.3.12.9\onlysearch.exe
  • %Application Data%\onlysearch\onlysearch\1.3.12.9\onlysetup.exe
  • %Application Data%\onlysearch\onlysearch\1.3.12.9\res.dll
  • %Application Data%\onlysearch\onlysearch\1.3.12.9\sccpaZcT.dll
  • %Application Data%\onlysearch\onlysearch\1.3.12.9\serp.js
  • %Application Data%\onlysearch\onlysearch\1.3.12.9\sqlite.dll

(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 and 7.)

Autostart Technique

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

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
Only-search = "%Application Data%\onlysearch\onlysearch\1.3.12.9\onlysearch.exe"

Other System Modifications

This adware adds the following registry keys:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\keepmysearch

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\
keepmysearch

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\
onlysearch

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\keepmysearch\instl\
data

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\
keepmysearch\instl\data

It adds the following registry entries:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\keepmysearch\uninstl
onlysearchkms = "%Application Data%\onlysearch\onlysearch\1.3.12.9\onlysetup.exe"

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\
keepmysearch\uninstl
onlysearchkms = "%Application Data%\onlysearch\onlysearch\1.3.12.9\onlysetup.exe"

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\keepmysearch\instl\
data
APPORDR = "{value}"

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\
keepmysearch\instl\data
APPORDR = "{value}"

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\
onlysearch
DisplayName = "Only-search"

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\
onlysearch
UninstallString = ""%Application Data%\onlysearch\onlysearch\1.3.12.9\onlysetup.exe" /uninstl"

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\
onlysearch
DisplayIcon = "%Application Data%\onlysearch\onlysearch\1.3.12.9\onlysetup.exe"

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\
onlysearch
Publisher = "onlysearch"

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\
onlysearch
NoModify = "1"

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\
onlysearch
NoRepair = "1"

Other Details

This adware connects to the following possibly malicious URL:

  • http://{BLOCKED}s.montiera.com/reports/jsRprt.srf?
  • http://{BLOCKED}n.montiera.com/mmc/1.4.5/cnfg/onlysearchkms.js
  • http://{BLOCKED}g.toolbarservices.com/cnfg/geo.srf?
  • http://{BLOCKED}s.montiera.com/reports/jsCnt.srf?
  • http://{BLOCKED}g.toolbarservices.com/

  SOLUTION

Minimum Scan Engine:

9.700

SSAPI PATTERN File:

1.546.27

SSAPI PATTERN Date:

08 Sep 2014

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

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_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
    • Only-search = "%Application Data%\onlysearch\onlysearch\1.3.12.9\onlysearch.exe"

Step 5

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_CLASSES_ROOT
    • keepmysearch
  • In HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes
    • keepmysearch
  • In HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall
    • onlysearch

Step 6

Search and delete this folder

[ 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.
  • %Application Data%\onlysearch
  • %Application Data%\onlysearch\onlysearch\1.3.12.9

Step 7

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