TSPY_GOLROTED.ED

 Analysis by: Francis Xavier Antazo

 ALIASES:

Spyware.HawkEyeKeyLogger (Malwarebytes)

 PLATFORM:

Windows

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

  • Threat Type: Spyware

  • Destructiveness: No

  • Encrypted: Yes

  • In the wild: Yes

  OVERVIEW

Infection Channel:

Dropped by other malware, Downloaded from the Internet

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.

  TECHNICAL DETAILS

File Size:

763,328 bytes

File Type:

EXE

Memory Resident:

Yes

Initial Samples Received Date:

04 Jul 2016

Payload:

Connects to URLs/IPs, Steals information

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:

  • %Application Data%\{random folder name}\{random filename}.exe

(Note: %Application Data% is the Application Data folder, where it usually is C:\Documents and Settings\{user name}\Application Data on Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003, and Windows XP (32- and 64-bit); C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Roaming 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.)

It adds the following processes:

  • vbc.exe

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
{random key} = "%Application Data%\{random folder name}\{random filename}.exe"

Other System Modifications

This spyware modifies the following registry entries:

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:

  • %Application Data%\pid.txt
  • %Application Data%\pidloc.txt
  • %User Temp%\Mail.txt
  • %User Temp%\Web.txt
  • %User Temp%\holdermail.txt
  • %User Temp%\holderwb.txt
  • %User Temp%\{random file name} (contains scheduled task xml)

(Note: %Application Data% is the Application Data folder, where it usually is C:\Documents and Settings\{user name}\Application Data on Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003, and Windows XP (32- and 64-bit); C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Roaming 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.. %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 URL(s) to get the affected system's IP address:

  • http://checkip.dyndns.org/
  • whatismyipaddress.com

It connects to the following possibly malicious URL:

  • http://www.{blocked}te.com/logs.php

It does the following:

  • It sends gathered information to the following email address via web.arch.ai:
    • {blocked}aka1@shamaraholdinq.com

    It may also send gathered information to the following ftp:
    • ftp.yourhost.com

NOTES:

It creates the following scheduled task to execute itself whenever the user logs in %System%\Tasks\Update\{Random file name}

It attempts to get stored credential from the following:

  • Eudora
  • MS Outlook
  • MS Outlook 2002/2003/2007/2010
  • Google Desktop
  • Windows Mail
  • Windows Live Mail
  • Outlook 2013
  • Outlook 2016
  • Incredimail
  • Gmail
  • Hotmail/MSN
  • Yahoo! Mail
  • Netscape Mail
  • Internet Download Manager
  • Jdownloader
  • Minecraft

It attempts to get stored info such as username, password and hostnames from the following browsers:

  • Internet Explorer
  • Firefox
  • Chrome
  • Opera
  • Safari
  • SeaMonkey

Attempts to get steal the following

  • Runescape Bank Pins
  • Bitcoin Wallet

  SOLUTION

Minimum Scan Engine:

9.8

FIRST VSAPI PATTERN FILE:

12.630.05

FIRST VSAPI PATTERN DATE:

04 Jul 2016

VSAPI OPR PATTERN File:

12.631.00

VSAPI OPR PATTERN Date:

05 Jul 2016

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

Restart in Safe Mode

[ Learn More ]

Step 4

Delete this registry value

[ 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_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
    • {random key} = "%Application Data%\{random folder name}\{random filename}.exe"

Step 5

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\Advanced
    • From: Hidden = "1"
      To: Hidden = 2

Step 6

Delete the Scheduled Tasks added by this malware/grayware

[ Learn More ]

To delete the added Scheduled Task file:

For Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003:

  1. Open the Windows Scheduled Tasks. To do this, click Start>Programs>Accessories>System Tools>Scheduled Tasks.
  2. Double-click on a .JOB file.
  3. Check if the malware path and file name exists in the .JOB file. To do this, check the value in the Run field.
  4. If found, select the .JOB file then press SHIFT+DELETE to permanently delete the file.
  5. Repeat the steps above for the remaining .JOB files.

For Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows Server 2008, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, and Windows Server 2012:

  1. Open the Windows Task Scheduler. To do this:
    • On Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Windows Server 2008, click Start, type taskschd.msc in the Search input field, then press Enter.
    • On Windows 8, Windows 8.1, and Windows Server 2012, right-click on the lower left corner of the screen, click Run, type taskschd.msc, then press Enter.
  2. In the left panel of the Task Scheduler Window, click Task Scheduler Library.
  3. In the upper-middle panel, click a Task.
  4. In the lower middle panel, click the Actions tab
  5. Check if the malware path and file name exists in the task. To do this, check the value in the Details column under the Actions tab.
  6. If found, select the task and press DELETE and click Yes to delete the task.
  7. Repeat the steps above for the remaining tasks.

Step 7

Search and delete these files

[ 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.
  • %Application Data%\pid.txt
  • %Application Data%\pidloc.txt
  • %User Temp%\Mail.txt
  • %User Temp%\Web.txt
  • %User Temp%\holdermail.txt
  • %User Temp%\holderwb.txt
  • %User Temp%\{random file name}

Step 8

Restart in normal mode and scan your computer with your Trend Micro product for files detected as TSPY_GOLROTED.ED. 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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