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ADW_HOTBAR.GA

September 08, 2014
 Analysis by: RonJay Kristoffer Caragay
 ALIASES:

Riskware/Toolbar_Babylon (Fortinet); a variant of Win32/Toolbar.Babylon.H (ESET-NOD32); PUP.Optional.ToolBarInstaller.A (Malwarebytes)

 PLATFORM:

Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003, Windows XP (32-bit, 64-bit), Windows Vista (32-bit, 64-bit), Windows 7 (32-bit, 64-bit)

 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:

414,232 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 creates the following folders:

  • %User Temp%\{GUID}
  • %User Temp%\{GUID}\HtmlScreens

(Note: %User Temp% is the current user's Temp folder, which is usually C:\Documents and Settings\{user name}\Local Settings\Temp on Windows 2000, XP, and Server 2003, or C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Local\Temp on Windows Vista and 7.)

Dropping Routine

This adware drops the following files:

  • %User Temp%\{GUID}\stp_tbinst.dat
  • %User Temp%\{GUID}\IEHelper.dll
  • %User Temp%\{GUID}\Setup.exe
  • %User Temp%\{GUID}\SetupStrings.dat
  • %User Temp%\{GUID}\HtmlScreens\loading.html
  • %User Temp%\{GUID}\HtmlScreens\navError.html
  • %User Temp%\{GUID}\HtmlScreens\pBar.gif
  • %User Temp%\{GUID}\HtmlScreens\Thumbs.db
  • %User Temp%\{GUID}\BuenoSearchTB-010.txt

(Note: %User Temp% is the current user's Temp folder, which is usually C:\Documents and Settings\{user name}\Local Settings\Temp on Windows 2000, XP, and Server 2003, or C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Local\Temp on Windows Vista and 7.)

  SOLUTION

Minimum Scan Engine:

9.700

FIRST VSAPI PATTERN FILE:

1.542.02

FIRST VSAPI PATTERN DATE:

27 Aug 2014

VSAPI OPR PATTERN File:

1.543.00

VSAPI OPR PATTERN Date:

03 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

Search and delete these components

[ Learn More ]
There may be some components that are hidden. Please make sure you check the Search Hidden Files and Folders checkbox in the "More advanced options" option to include all hidden files and folders in the search result.
  • %User Temp%\{GUID}\stp_tbinst.dat
  • %User Temp%\{GUID}\IEHelper.dll
  • %User Temp%\{GUID}\Setup.exe
  • %User Temp%\{GUID}\SetupStrings.dat
  • %User Temp%\{GUID}\HtmlScreens\loading.html
  • %User Temp%\{GUID}\HtmlScreens\navError.html
  • %User Temp%\{GUID}\HtmlScreens\pBar.gif
  • %User Temp%\{GUID}\HtmlScreens\Thumbs.db
  • %User Temp%\{GUID}\BuenoSearchTB-010.txt

Step 4

Scan your computer with your Trend Micro product to delete files detected as ADW_HOTBAR.GA. 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 5

The following created files/folders/registry keys/registry entries cannot be identified by the user since there are no reference values in the created key. The only way it can be identified is by comparing the present system information with a backup. Note that the said components do not have to be deleted since it won't be harmful to the system.

  • %User Temp%\{GUID}


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