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ADW_ZWANGI

February 27, 2014
 Analysis by: Roland Marco Dela Paz
 ALIASES:

Microsoft : BrowserModifier:Win32/Zwangi ; Mcafee : Adware-OneStep.k.

 PLATFORM:

Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003

 OVERALL RISK RATING:
 REPORTED INFECTION:
 SYSTEM IMPACT RATING:
 INFORMATION EXPOSURE:

  • Threat Type: Adware

  • Destructiveness: No

  • Encrypted: Yes

  • In the wild: Yes


  TECHNICAL DETAILS

File Size:

669,904 bytes

File Type:

PE

Memory Resident:

Yes

Initial Samples Received Date:

15 Dec 2010

Installation

This adware drops the following files:

  • %System Root%\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\BarDiscover\bardiscover127.exe - also detected as ADW_ZWANGI
  • %Program Files%\BarDiscover\bardiscover.dll - also detected as ADW_ZWANGI
  • %Program Files%\BarDiscover\bardiscover.exe - also detected as ADW_ZWANGI
  • %Program Files%\BarDiscover\uninstall.exe - uninstall component

(Note: %System Root% is the root folder, which is usually C:\. It is also where the operating system is located.. %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).)

It creates the following folders:

  • %System Root%\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\BarDiscover
  • %Program Files%\BarDiscover

(Note: %System Root% is the root folder, which is usually C:\. It is also where the operating system is located.. %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).)

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\BarDiscover Service
ImagePath = "%System Root%\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\BarDiscover\bardiscover127.exe" "%Program Files%\BarDiscover\bardiscover.dll" {parameter}

Other System Modifications

This adware adds the following registry keys:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\BarDiscover

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\
BarDiscover

  SOLUTION

Minimum Scan Engine:

8.900

SSAPI PATTERN File:

*under processing

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

Remove ADW_ZWANGI by using its own Uninstall option

[ Learn More ]
To uninstall the grayware process

Step 3

Scan your computer with your Trend Micro product to delete files detected as ADW_ZWANGI. 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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