BKDR_VAWTRAK.GPT

January 30, 2015
 Analysis by: Jennifer Gumban
 ALIASES:

Backdoor:Win32/Vawtrak.F (Microsoft),Backdoor.Win32.Papras.rwn (Kaspersky)

 PLATFORM:

Windows

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

  • Threat Type: Backdoor

  • Destructiveness: No

  • Encrypted:

  • In the wild: Yes

  OVERVIEW

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

It modifies the Internet Explorer Zone Settings.

  TECHNICAL DETAILS

File Size:

290,816 bytes

File Type:

DLL

Initial Samples Received Date:

27 Jan 2015

Arrival Details

This backdoor 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 backdoor drops the following copies of itself into the affected system and executes them:

  • %All Users Profile%\Application Data\{Random Folder}\{Random Filename}.{File Extension}

(Note: %All Users Profile% is the All Users folder, where it usually is C:\Documents and Settings\All Users on Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003, and Windows XP (32- and 64-bit); C:\ProgramData on Windows Vista (32- and 64-bit), Windows 7 (32- and 64-bit), Windows 8 (32- and 64-bit), Windows 8.1 (32- and 64-bit), Windows Server 2008, and Windows Server 2012.)

Autostart Technique

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

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
{Random Folder} = "regsvr32.exe "%All Users Profile%\Application Data\{Random Folder}\{Random Filename}.{File Extension}""

Other System Modifications

This backdoor adds the following registry keys:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{CLSID 1}

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{CLSID 2}

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\
CLSID\{CLSID 1}

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\
CLSID\{CLSID 2}

It adds the following registry entries:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\
CLSID\{CLSID 2}
{CLSID 3} = "{hex value}"

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{CLSID 1}
#cert = "{hex value}"

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\
CLSID\{CLSID 1}
#cert = "{hex value}"

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{CLSID 2}
{CLSID 3} = "{hex value}"

Web Browser Home Page and Search Page Modification

This backdoor modifies the Internet Explorer Zone Settings.

Other Details

This backdoor connects to the following possibly malicious URL:

  • http://{BLOCKED}lpane.com/viewforum.php?f={value1}&sid={value 2}