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TROJ_WATERTIGER-A.ZKGJ

January 17, 2020
 Analysis by: Carl Maverick Pascual
 ALIASES:

Trojan.Win32.PLEAD.ad (Kaspersky)

 PLATFORM:

Windows

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

  • Threat Type: Trojan

  • Destructiveness: No

  • Encrypted: No

  • In the wild: Yes

  OVERVIEW

Infection Channel:

Downloaded from the Internet, Dropped by other malware


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.

  TECHNICAL DETAILS

File Size:

86,016 bytes

File Type:

DLL

Memory Resident:

No

Initial Samples Received Date:

11 Sep 2019

Payload:

Drops files, Executes files

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 drops the following files:

  • %System Root%\Users\Public\Default20180309.log -> Contains execution logs

(Note: %System Root% is the Windows root folder, where it usually is C:\ on all Windows operating system versions.)

It adds the following processes:

  • %ProgramData%\Intel\DAL\slmgr.exe

(Note: %ProgramData% is a version of the Program Files folder where any user on a multi-user computer can make changes to programs. This contains application data for all users. This is usually C:\ProgramData on Windows Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, 2008(64-bit), 2012(64-bit) and 10(64-bit), or C:\Documents and Settings\All Users on Windows Server 2003(32-bit), 2000(32-bit), XP.)

Other Details

This Trojan does the following:

  • It searches for the file desktop.db in the following directories:
    • {malware directory}
    • %ProgramData%\Microsoft
    • %Windows%

    Failure to find the file desktop.db, it will search for files that match the regular-expression "*7???.*" in the following folders:
    • %System Root%\Users\Public\Documents
    • %ProgramData%\Microsoft
    • %Windows%

    Once found, it does the following:
    • Modify the file's timestamp based on the timestamp of the file %Windows%\notepad.exe
    • Read, Decrypt and Execute the contents of the file.

(Note: %System Root% is the Windows root folder, where it usually is C:\ on all Windows operating system versions.)

  SOLUTION

Minimum Scan Engine:

9.850

FIRST VSAPI PATTERN FILE:

15.444.03

FIRST VSAPI PATTERN DATE:

21 Oct 2019

VSAPI OPR PATTERN File:

15.445.00

VSAPI OPR PATTERN Date:

22 Oct 2019

Step 1

Trend Micro Predictive Machine Learning detects and blocks malware at the first sign of its existence, before it executes on your system. When enabled, your Trend Micro product detects this malware under the following machine learning name:

     
    • Troj.Win32.TRX.XXPE50FFF032

Step 2

Before doing any scans, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, and Windows 10 users must disable System Restore to allow full scanning of their computers.

Step 3

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 4

Search and delete this file

[ Learn More ]
There may be some files 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.
  • %System Root%\Users\Public\Default20180309.log

Step 5

Scan your computer with your Trend Micro product to delete files detected as TROJ_WATERTIGER-A.ZKGJ. 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 the following Trend Micro Support pages for more information:


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