ADW_KITO.GA

 Analysis by: Pearl Charlaine Espejo

 ALIASES:

Trojan:MSIL/Spacekito.A (Microsoft); AdWare.MSIL.Kito.b (Kaspersky); PUP.Optional.Vittalia (Malwarebytes); Adware-Okit (McAfee); Riskware/Kito (Fortinet)

 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

Infection Channel:

Downloaded from the Internet


This adware may be unknowingly downloaded by a user while visiting malicious websites. It may be manually installed by a user.

It gathers certain information on the affected computer.

It connects to certain websites to send and receive information.

  TECHNICAL DETAILS

File Size:

103,936 bytes

File Type:

EXE

Memory Resident:

No

Initial Samples Received Date:

03 Aug 2015

Payload:

Drops files

Arrival Details

This adware may be unknowingly downloaded by a user while visiting malicious websites.

It may be manually installed by a user.

Installation

This adware drops the following files:

  • %Application Data%\okitspace\protect\Interop.Shell32.dll
  • %Application Data%\okitspace\protect\NewtonSoft.Json.dll
  • %Application Data%\okitspace\protect\utilsDll.dll
  • %Application Data%\okitspace\protect\config.xml
  • %Application Data%\okitspace\protect\sqlite3.exe
  • %Application Data%\okitspace\protect\PluginProtect.exe - detected as ADW_KITO.GA
  • %Application Data%\okitspace\uninstallkit.exe
  • %User Temp%\ns{random characters}.tmp\SimpleSC.dll - deleted afterwards

(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.)

It creates the following folders:

  • %Application Data%\okitspace
  • %Application Data%\okitspace\protect
  • %User Temp%\ns{random value}.tmp - deleted afterwards

(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.)

Autostart Technique

This adware registers itself as a system service to ensure its automatic execution at every system startup by adding the following registry entries:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\
Services\srvPlgProtect
ImagePath = "%Application Data%\okitspace\protect\PluginProtect.exe"

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\
Services\srvPlgProtect
DisplayName = "Protect your browser's extensions"

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\
Services\srvPlgProtect
Start = "2"

It registers as a system service to ensure its automatic execution at every system startup by adding the following registry keys:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\
Services\srvPlgProtect

Other System Modifications

This adware adds the following registry keys:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\
PluginProtect

It adds the following registry entries:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\
PluginProtect
InstallDay = "{System Date and Time}"

Information Theft

This adware gathers the following information on the affected computer:

  • System date and time
  • Operating system and version
  • UserID
  • Default browser
  • Installed browsers
  • Browser Activities

Other Details

This adware connects to the following website to send and receive information:

  • http://{BLOCKED}a.{BLOCKED}tk.com/xmlstatic/installers/plugins/okitspace/version
  • http://{BLOCKED}a.{BLOCKED}tk.com/xmlstatic/installers/plugins/okitspace/lastplugin
  • https://{BLOCKED}s.{BLOCKED}ace.com/software_stats/
  • http://{BLOCKED}s.{BLOCKED}ace.com/software_stats/?action_id={id}&action_description={data}&software_id={id}&software_version={version}&user_id={user id}&user_agent={browser application}&user_date={date and time}&channel_id={id}&channel_subid={id}&channel_param={parameter}&_={data}
  • http://{BLOCKED}s.{BLOCKED}ace.com/ox.php?{random letter}={data}
  • http://{BLOCKED}s.{BLOCKED}ace.com/uploads/cover.js?id={id}&affid={id}&user_agent={browser}&user_id={user ID}&channel_id={ID}&channel_subid={ID}&channel_param={parameter}&software_id={ID}&software_version={version}
  • http://{BLOCKED}r.{BLOCKED}ace.com/fast/get_topic_keyword/?keywords={keyword}&base_domain={website domain}&software_id={ID}&script_version={version}&_={data}
  • http://{BLOCKED}n.{BLOCKED}ace.com/www/delivery/ajs.php?zoneid={id}&{random letter}={value}&{random letter}={value}&topic={data}&domain={website domain}&path={data}&ext=okitspace&_={data}
  • http://{BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}ashjs.info/base/javascript.js?hid=oksp2&channel={number}
  • https://www.{BLOCKED}3.com/js/intext.js?afid=okitagency&subid={id}&maxlinks={number}&linkcolor={number}&affiliate=okitagency

NOTES:

It disguises itself as a browser plugin. Once installed, it is able to produce browser pop-ups and ads into websites.

It monitors all the plugins it installed. If any of the plugins gets disabled, it immediately re-enables the plugin. If any of the plugins is removed, it downloads and installs another copy of the plugin.

  SOLUTION

Minimum Scan Engine:

9.750

SSAPI PATTERN File:

1.644.12

SSAPI PATTERN Date:

24 Jul 2015

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

Restart in Safe Mode

[ Learn More ]

Step 3

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_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services
    • srvPlgProtect
  • In HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node
    • PluginProtect

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.
  • %Application Data%\okitspace\protect\Interop.Shell32.dll
  • %Application Data%\okitspace\protect\NewtonSoft.Json.dll
  • %Application Data%\okitspace\protect\utilsDll.dll
  • %Application Data%\okitspace\protect\config.xml
  • %Application Data%\okitspace\protect\sqlite3.exe
  • %Application Data%\okitspace\uninstallkit.exe
  • %User Temp%\ns{random characters}.tmp\SimpleSC.dll

Step 5

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

NOTES:

Step 6

Remove the browser extensions/ plugins.

  • In Mozilla Firefox, go to Tools > Add-ons. Find OKitSpace plugin and uninstall it.
  • In Google Chrome, go to Settings > Extensions. Find OKitSpace plugin and uninstall it.
  • In Internet Explorer, go to Tools > Manage Add-ons, Find OKitSpace plugin and uninstall it.

      Restart your browsers after removing the plugins.


Did this description help? Tell us how we did.