TSPY_EMOTET.XXTJ
TrojanSpy:MSIL/Golroted.B (Microsoft); RDN/Generic.grp (McAfee); W32.Golroted (Symantec); Trojan.MSIL.Crypt.docs (Kaspersky); Trojan.Win32.Generic!BT (Sunbelt); Trojan horse Atros5.BBPM (AVG)
Windows
![](/vinfo/imgFiles/legend.jpg)
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.
It deletes itself after execution.
TECHNICAL DETAILS
704,512 bytes
EXE
Yes
08 Jun 2017
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 copies of itself into the affected system:
- %User Profile%\Application Data\Windows Update.exe
- %User Profile%\Application Data\WindowsUpdate.exe
(Note: %User Profile% is the current user's profile folder, which is usually C:\Documents and Settings\{user name} on Windows 2000, XP, and Server 2003, or C:\Users\{user name} on Windows Vista and 7.)
Autostart Technique
This Spyware adds the following registry entries to enable its automatic execution at every system startup:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
Windows Update = "%User Profile%\Application Data\WindowsUpdate.exe"
Other System Modifications
This Spyware deletes the following files:
- %User Profile%\Application Data\Windows Update.exe
(Note: %User Profile% is the current user's profile folder, which is usually C:\Documents and Settings\{user name} on Windows 2000, XP, and Server 2003, or C:\Users\{user name} on Windows Vista and 7.)
It adds the following registry keys:
hkey_local_machine\software\microsoft\
esent\process\{malware file name}
hkey_local_machine\software\microsoft\
esent\process\{malware file name}\
debug
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
ESENT\Process\Windows Update
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
ESENT\Process\Windows Update\
DEBUG
It modifies the following registry entries:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\
Services\Eventlog\Application\
ESENT
EventMessageFile = "%System%\ESENT.dll"
(Note: The default value data of the said registry entry is {random values}.)
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\
Services\Eventlog\Application\
ESENT
CategoryMessageFile = "%System%\ESENT.dll"
(Note: The default value data of the said registry entry is {random values}.)
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\
Services\Eventlog\Application\
ESENT
CategoryCount = "1"
(Note: The default value data of the said registry entry is 10.)
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\
Services\Eventlog\Application\
ESENT
TypesSupported = "7"
(Note: The default value data of the said registry entry is 7.)
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\
Advanced
Hidden = "1"
(Note: The default value data of the said registry entry is 2.)
Dropping Routine
This Spyware drops the following files:
- %User Profile%\Application Data\lighting.pif
- %User Temp%\z805
- %User Temp%\SysInfo.txt
- %User Profile%\Application Data\pid.txt
- %User Profile%\Application Data\pidloc.txt
- %User Temp%\z654
(Note: %User Profile% is the current user's profile folder, which is usually C:\Documents and Settings\{user name} on Windows 2000, XP, and Server 2003, or C:\Users\{user name} on Windows Vista and 7.. %User Temp% is the user's temporary folder, where it usually is C:\Documents and Settings\{user name}\Local Settings\Temp on Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003, and Windows XP (32- and 64-bit); C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Local\Temp 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.)
Other Details
This Spyware connects to the following possibly malicious URL:
- {BLOCKED}205.249
- {BLOCKED}0.1
- {BLOCKED}21.38
It deletes itself after execution.
This report is generated via an automated analysis system.
SOLUTION
9.8
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
Restart in Safe Mode
Step 3
Delete this registry key
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\esent\process
- {malware file name}
- In hkey_local_machine\software\microsoft\esent\process\{malware file name}
- debug
- In HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\ESENT\Process
- Windows Update
- In HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\ESENT\Process\Windows Update
- DEBUG
Step 4
Delete this registry value
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
- Windows Update = "%User Profile%\Application Data\WindowsUpdate.exe"
Step 5
Restore these modified registry values
Important:Editing the Windows Registry incorrectly can lead to irreversible system malfunction. Please do this only if you know how to or you can seek your system administrator's help. You may also check out this Microsoft article first before modifying your computer's registry.
- In HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services\Eventlog\Application\ESENT
- From: EventMessageFile = "%System%\ESENT.dll"
To: EventMessageFile = ""{random values}""
- From: EventMessageFile = "%System%\ESENT.dll"
- In HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services\Eventlog\Application\ESENT
- From: CategoryMessageFile = "%System%\ESENT.dll"
To: CategoryMessageFile = ""{random values}""
- From: CategoryMessageFile = "%System%\ESENT.dll"
- In HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services\Eventlog\Application\ESENT
- From: CategoryCount = "1"
To: CategoryCount = ""10""
- From: CategoryCount = "1"
- In HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services\Eventlog\Application\ESENT
- From: TypesSupported = "7"
To: TypesSupported = ""7""
- From: TypesSupported = "7"
- In HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced
- From: Hidden = "1"
To: Hidden = ""2""
- From: Hidden = "1"
Step 6
Search and delete these components
- %User Profile%\Application Data\lighting.pif
- %User Temp%\z805
- %User Temp%\SysInfo.txt
- %User Profile%\Application Data\pid.txt
- %User Profile%\Application Data\pidloc.txt
- %User Temp%\z654
Step 7
Restart in normal mode and scan your computer with your Trend Micro product for files detected as TSPY_EMOTET.XXTJ. 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.
Step 8
Restore this file from backup only Microsoft-related files will be restored. If this malware/grayware also deleted files related to programs that are not from Microsoft, please reinstall those programs on you computer again.
- %User Profile%\Application Data\Windows Update.exe
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