TSPY_BEBLOH.AAACR

 Analysis by: Mar Philip Elaurza

 ALIASES:

Troj/Shiotob-BC (Sophos); Win32/Spy.Bebloh.K trojan (ESET-NOD32)

 PLATFORM:

Windows

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

  • Threat Type: Trojan

  • Destructiveness: No

  • Encrypted:

  • In the wild: Yes

  OVERVIEW


This Trojan arrives as an attachment to email messages spammed by other malware/grayware or malicious users.

However, as of this writing, the said sites are inaccessible.

  TECHNICAL DETAILS

File Size:

296,960 bytes

File Type:

EXE

Memory Resident:

Yes

Initial Samples Received Date:

10 Jul 2016

Arrival Details

This Trojan arrives as an attachment to email messages spammed by other malware/grayware or malicious users.

Installation

This Trojan drops the following copies of itself into the affected system:

  • %Application Data%\{random string}.exe
    (Note: Creation of this copy is triggered when the affected system is shutting down)

(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.)

Autostart Technique

This Trojan adds the following registry entries to enable its automatic execution at every system startup:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
{random string} = "%Application Data%\{random string}.lnk”
(Note: Creation of this registry entry is triggered when the affected system is shutting down)

It drops the following files:

  • %Application Data%\{random string}.lnk <- points to the copy
    (Note: Creation of this file is triggered when the affected system is shutting down, appends parameter "-autorun" to executed copy)

(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.)

Other System Modifications

This Trojan adds the following registry keys:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software
{random key} =

It adds the following registry entries:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\{Random Key}
{Default} = "{Hexadecimal Values}"

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\{Random Key}
{Random Value} = "0"

Other Details

This Trojan connects to the following URL(s) to check for an Internet connection:

  • www.google.com

It connects to the following possibly malicious URL:

  • https://{BLOCKED}yri.net/auth/
  • https://{random generated domain}.net:443
  • https://{random generated domain}.com:443

However, as of this writing, the said sites are inaccessible.

  SOLUTION

Minimum Scan Engine:

9.800

FIRST VSAPI PATTERN FILE:

12.642.05

FIRST VSAPI PATTERN DATE:

10 Jul 2016

VSAPI OPR PATTERN File:

12.643.00

VSAPI OPR PATTERN Date:

11 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 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. Before you could do this, you must restart in Safe Mode. For instructions on how to do this, you may refer to this page If the preceding step requires you to restart in safe mode, you may proceed to edit the system registry.

  • In HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software
    • {Random Key}

Step 5

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 string} = "%Application Data%\{random string}.lnk"

Step 6

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%\{random string}.lnk

Step 7

Restart in normal mode and scan your computer with your Trend Micro product for files detected as TSPY_BEBLOH.AAACR. 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 8

Reset Internet security settings

[ Learn More ]


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