TROJ_POPHOT.SM
Windows 2000, XP, Server 2003
Threat Type: Trojan
Destructiveness: No
Encrypted: Yes
In the wild: Yes
OVERVIEW
This Trojan arrives as a component bundled with malware/grayware packages.
It connects to certain URLs. It may do this to remotely inform a malicious user of its installation. It may also do this to download possibly malicious files onto the computer, which puts the computer at a greater risk of infection by other threats.
It opens a hidden Internet Explorer window.
TECHNICAL DETAILS
Varies
DLL
Yes
13 Sep 2010
Connects to URLs/Ips, Compromises system security
Arrival Details
This Trojan arrives as a component bundled with malware/grayware packages.
Installation
This Trojan injects itself into the following processes as part of its memory residency routine:
- winlogon.exe
- explorer.exe
Autostart Technique
This Trojan adds the following registry entries to enable its automatic execution at every system startup:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\
Notify\SeAcros
Startup = WLEventStartup
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\
Notify\SeAcros
StartShell = WLEventStartShell
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\
Notify\SeAcros
DLLName = {malware filename}
Other System Modifications
This Trojan adds the following registry keys:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\
Notify\SeAcros
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Briefcase.Server
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\
Notify\knf
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\
Notify\igfxex
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Windows NT\CurrentVersionWinlogon\Notify\
ScomLaunch
Process Termination
This Trojan terminates processes or services that contain any of the following strings if found running in the affected system's memory:
- SkyNet Firewall
- Trend Micro Client/Server Security Agent Personal Firewall
- Rising Personal Firewall
- Kingsoft Personal Firewall
- Sygate Personal FireWall
- Trend Micro PC-cillin Internet Security FireWall
- Kaspersky Anti-Virus for File Servers
- NOD32 Anti-Virus
- McAfee VirusScan
- Symantec AntiVirus
- Rising Process Communication Center
- Avira AntiVir
- Trend Micro Anti-Virus
- jiangming Antivirus
- Kingsoft Antivirus
- Kaspersky Anti-Virus
- network associates
- AVG7
Download Routine
This Trojan connects to the following malicious URLs:
- http://www.{BLOCKED}p.com/images/yih_cover.jpg
- http://www.{BLOCKED}c.com.cn/Include/images/c_pic.jpg
- http://www.{BLOCKED}go.com.cn/Images/T-ZCARGO/wu.jpg
- http://www.{BLOCKED}go.com.cn/system/Images/T-ZCARGO/wu.jpg
- http://www.{BLOCKED}c.com.cn/Include/images/c_pic.jpg
Other Details
This Trojan opens a hidden Internet Explorer window.
It does the following:
- It stores information about itself in the registry key HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\\Briefcase.Server
- ExistsName
- GiTypeName
- Restore
- Backup
- StartProc UpdateTime
- Begin
- ar
- LastModified
- This DLL file has the following backdoor capabilities:
- create/delete user account
- send email
- send and receive files
- retreive Windows log-in user name and password
- screenshot
- hook mouse
- hook keyboard
- Open webcam
- download updated copy of itself
- download other files
- start/terminate process
- execute arbitrary shell commands
- reboot the machine
- It terminates the following processes if found running in the affected system's memory:
- tmlisten.exe
- ntrtscan.exe
- tmntsrv.exe
- avgamsvr.exe
- avguard.exe
- ravmond.exe
- ravtask.exe
- kwatch.exe
- rtvscan.exe
- ccevtmgr.exe
- sched.exe
- frameworkService.exe
- ekrn.exe
- nod32kui.exe
- nod.exe
- klserver.exe
- kavmm.exe
- avp.exe
- pfw.exe
- ofcpfwsvc.exe
- rfwsrv.exe
- kpfwsvc.exe
- smc.exe
- tmpfw.exe
- mcshield.exe
SOLUTION
8.900
7.464.03
Step 1
For Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 users, before doing any scans, please make sure you disable System Restore to allow full scanning of your computer.
Step 2
Identify and delete files detected as TROJ_POPHOT.SM using either the Startup Disk or Recovery Console
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\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\Notify\
- SeAcros
- SeAcros
- In HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\
- Briefcase.Server
- Briefcase.Server
- In HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\Notify\
- knf
- knf
- In HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\Notify\
- igfxex
- igfxex
- In HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersionWinlogon\Notify\
- ScomLaunch
- ScomLaunch
Step 4
Scan your computer with your Trend Micro product to delete files detected as TROJ_POPHOT.SM. 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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