HTML_JOURLOD.A

 Analysis by: Anthony Joe Melgarejo

 ALIASES:

Trojan.Tapaoux.C (Symantec), Trojan-Downloader.JS.Agent.hhb (Kaspersky)

 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 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:

135,911 bytes

File Type:

HTA

Initial Samples Received Date:

19 Jun 2015

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 copies of itself into the affected system and executes them:

  • %User Temp%\Internet_Explorer_Smart_Recovery.exe

(Note: %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 Trojan drops the following file(s) in the Windows User Startup folder to enable its automatic execution at every system startup:

  • %User Startup%\Internet Explorer Service Pack.hta

(Note: %User Startup% is the current user's Startup folder, which is usually C:\Documents and Settings\{user}\Start Menu\Programs\Startup on Windows 2000 and XP, and C:\Documents and Settings\{User name}\Start Menu\Programs\Startup on Windows Vista, 7, and 8.)

Other Details

This Trojan connects to the following possibly malicious URL:

  • https://www.{BLOCKED}pace.com/23928.html
  • http://{BLOCKED}ace.{BLOCKED}msys.com/readme.php?type=execution&result=created_and_executed&info={browser version}
  • http://{BLOCKED}ace.{BLOCKED}msys.com/readme.php?type=execution&result=created_but_not_executed&info={browser version}&err_num={error number}&err_desc={error description}