TROJ_STARTP.SMHU


 ALIASES:

Trojan:Win32/Startpage.OD (Microsoft); Generic StartPage!ue (McAfee); ARC:NSIS, [data0001]:Trojan.NSIS.StartPage.bt (Kaspersky); Trojan.Win32.Generic!BT (Sunbelt); Trojan:W32/Agent.DSQO (FSecure)

 PLATFORM:

Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003

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

  • Threat Type: Trojan

  • Destructiveness: No

  • Encrypted:

  • In the wild: Yes

  OVERVIEW


This Trojan 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 the initially executed copy of itself.

  TECHNICAL DETAILS

File Size:

65,089 bytes

File Type:

EXE

Memory Resident:

No

Initial Samples Received Date:

08 Nov 2011

Arrival Details

This Trojan 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 Trojan creates the following folders:

  • %Program Files%\Microsoft11
  • %Program Files%\Microsoft11\Internet Explorar
  • %System Root%\DOCUME~1
  • %System Root%\DOCUME~1\ADMINI~1
  • %User Profile%\LOCALS~1
  • %User Temp%\nss3.tmp
  • %System Root%\Documents and Settings
  • %System Root%\Documents and Settings\All Users

(Note: %Program Files% is the default Program Files folder, usually C:\Program Files in Windows 2000, Server 2003, and XP (32-bit), Vista (32-bit), and 7 (32-bit), or C:\Program Files (x86) in Windows XP (64-bit), Vista (64-bit), and 7 (64-bit).. %System Root% is the root folder, which is usually C:\. It is also where the operating system is located.. %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 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.)

Other System Modifications

This Trojan deletes the following files:

  • %User Temp%\nsz1.tmp
  • %User Temp%\nss3.tmp

(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.)

It deletes the following folders:

  • %User Temp%\nss3.tmp\

(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.)

It adds the following registry keys:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.of

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\offile\DefaultIcon

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\offile\shell\
open\command

It modifies the following registry entries:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\
CLSID\{871C5380-42A0-1069-A2EA-08002B30309D}\ShellFolder
Attributes = 133ec2

(Note: The default value data of the said registry entry is 0.)

Dropping Routine

This Trojan drops the following files:

  • %User Temp%\nsz2.tmp
  • %Program Files%\Microsoft11\Internet Explorar\target.lnk
  • %User Temp%\nss3.tmp\AccessControl.dll
  • %Desktop%\Internet Explorar.of
  • %Windows%\tbgw.ico
  • %Desktop%\ÌÔ ±¦ Íø ¹º.lnk

(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.. %Program Files% is the default Program Files folder, usually C:\Program Files in Windows 2000, Server 2003, and XP (32-bit), Vista (32-bit), and 7 (32-bit), or C:\Program Files (x86) in Windows XP (64-bit), Vista (64-bit), and 7 (64-bit).. %Desktop% is the current user's desktop, which is usually C:\Documents and Settings\{User Name}\Desktop on Windows 2000, XP, and Server 2003, or C:\Users\{user name}\Desktop on Windows Vista and 7.. %Windows% is the Windows folder, which is usually C:\Windows.)

Other Details

This Trojan deletes the initially executed copy of itself

This report is generated via an automated analysis system.

  SOLUTION

Minimum Scan Engine:

9.200

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

Delete this registry key

[ Learn More ]

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_CLASSES_ROOT
    • .of
  • In HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\offile
    • DefaultIcon
  • In HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\offile\shell\open
    • command

Step 3

Restore these modified registry values

[ Learn More ]

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_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\CLSID\{871C5380-42A0-1069-A2EA-08002B30309D}\ShellFolder
    • From: Attributes=133ec2
      To: Attributes=0

Step 4

Search and delete these folders

[ Learn More ]
Please make sure you check the Search Hidden Files and Folders checkbox in the More advanced options option to include all hidden folders in the search result.
  • %Program Files%\Microsoft11
  • %Program Files%\Microsoft11\Internet Explorar
  • %System Root%\DOCUME~1
  • %System Root%\DOCUME~1\ADMINI~1
  • %User Profile%\LOCALS~1
  • %User Temp%\nss3.tmp
  • %System Root%\Documents and Settings
  • %System Root%\Documents and Settings\All Users

Step 5

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%\nsz2.tmp
  • %Program Files%\Microsoft11\Internet Explorar\target.lnk
  • %User Temp%\nss3.tmp\AccessControl.dll
  • %Desktop%\Internet Explorar.of
  • %Windows%\tbgw.ico
  • %Desktop%\ÌÔ ±¦ Íø ¹º.lnk

Step 6

Scan your computer with your Trend Micro product to delete files detected as TROJ_STARTP.SMHU. 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 7

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 Temp%\nsz1.tmp
  • %User Temp%\nss3.tmp


Did this description help? Tell us how we did.