TSPY_ZBOT.IMZ

 Analysis by: Joseph Obed

 ALIASES:

PWS:Win32/Zbot.gen!Y(Microsoft), PWS-Zbot.gen.ds (Mcafee), Trojan-Spy.Win32.Zbot.bopd (Kaspersky)

 PLATFORM:

Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003

 OVERALL RISK RATING:
 REPORTED INFECTION:
 SYSTEM IMPACT RATING:
 INFORMATION EXPOSURE:

  • Threat Type: Spyware

  • Destructiveness: No

  • Encrypted:

  • In the wild: Yes

  OVERVIEW

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

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

  TECHNICAL DETAILS

File Size:

141,312 bytes

File Type:

EXE

Memory Resident:

Yes

Initial Samples Received Date:

07 Mar 2012

Arrival Details

This spyware 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 spyware drops the following files:

  • %User Profile%\Application Data\{random letters 1}\{random letters}.exe - copy of itself
  • %User Profile%\Application Data\{random letters 2}\{random letters}.{random letters} - encrypted file

(Note: %User Profile% is the current user's profile folder, which is usually C:\Windows\Profiles\{user name} on Windows 98 and ME, C:\WINNT\Profiles\{user name} on Windows NT, and C:\Documents and Settings\{user name} on Windows 2000, XP, and Server 2003.)

It creates the following folders:

  • %User Profile%\Application Data\{random letters 1}
  • %User Profile%\Application Data\{random letters 2}

(Note: %User Profile% is the current user's profile folder, which is usually C:\Windows\Profiles\{user name} on Windows 98 and ME, C:\WINNT\Profiles\{user name} on Windows NT, and C:\Documents and Settings\{user name} on Windows 2000, XP, and Server 2003.)

Autostart Technique

This spyware creates the following registry entries to enable automatic execution of dropped component at every system startup:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
{GUID} = "%User Profile%\Application Data\{random letters 1}\{random letters}.exe"

Other System Modifications

This spyware adds the following registry keys:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
{random letters}

Information Theft

This spyware accesses the following site to download its configuration file:

  • http://{BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}9.232.7/memor/conf.bin

Other Details

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