ADW_GAMEPLAYLABS.GA
AdWare.GamePlayLabs (Ikarus), GamePlayLabs (fs) (Sunbelt)
Windows
![](/vinfo/imgFiles/legend.jpg)
Threat Type: Adware
Destructiveness: No
Encrypted:
In the wild: Yes
OVERVIEW
This adware arrives on a system as a file dropped by other malware or as a file downloaded unknowingly by users when visiting malicious sites. It arrives as a component bundled with malware/grayware packages. It may be manually installed by a user.
It deletes the initially executed copy of itself.
TECHNICAL DETAILS
Arrival Details
This adware arrives on a system as a file dropped by other malware or as a file downloaded unknowingly by users when visiting malicious sites.
It arrives as a component bundled with malware/grayware packages.
It may be manually installed by a user.
Installation
This adware drops the following copies of itself into the affected system and executes them:
- %User Temp%\~nsu.tmp\Au_.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.)
It drops the following files:
- %User Temp%\ns{random characters}.tmp\StdUtils.dll - deleted afterwards
- %User Temp%\ns{random characters}.tmp\nsislog.dll - deleted afterwards
- %User Temp%\I Want ThisUninstaller_{number}.log
- %User Temp%\ns{random characters}.tmp\nsisos.dll - deleted afterwards
- %User Temp%\ns{random characters}.tmp\System.dll - deleted afterwards
- %User Temp%\ns{random characters}.tmp\UserInfo.dll - deleted afterwards
- %User Temp%\ns{random characters}.tmp\inetc.dll - deleted afterwards
- %User Temp%\ns{random characters}.tmp\2258_tmp - deleted afterwards
- %User Temp%\ns{random characters}.tmp\I Want This_tmp - deleted afterwards
(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.)
It creates the following folders:
- %User Temp%\~nsu.tmp
- %User Temp%\ns{random characters}.tmp - deleted afterwards
(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.)
Other System Modifications
This adware deletes the following files:
- %User Temp%\ns{random characters}.tmp
(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.)
It deletes the following folders:
- {adware path}
Other Details
This adware connects to the following possibly malicious URL:
- http://{BLOCKED}s.{BLOCKED}ider.com
- http://www.{BLOCKED}aylabs.com/uninstaller-ping///xriderexe/20646/?pid=2258&aoi2=0
It does the following:
- It unloads the following .dll file from Regsvr32:
- {adware path}\I Want This.dll
It deletes the initially executed copy of itself
SOLUTION
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
Identify and terminate files detected as ADW_GAMEPLAYLABS.GA
- Windows Task Manager may not display all running processes. In this case, please use a third-party process viewer, preferably Process Explorer, to terminate the malware/grayware/spyware file. You may download the said tool here.
- If the detected file is displayed in either Windows Task Manager or Process Explorer but you cannot delete it, restart your computer in safe mode. To do this, refer to this link for the complete steps.
- If the detected file is not displayed in either Windows Task Manager or Process Explorer, continue doing the next steps.
Step 4
Search and delete these files
- %User Temp%\ns{random characters}.tmp\StdUtils.dll
- %User Temp%\ns{random characters}.tmp\nsislog.dll
- %User Temp%\I Want ThisUninstaller_{number}.log
- %User Temp%\ns{random characters}.tmp\nsisos.dll
- %User Temp%\ns{random characters}.tmp\System.dll
- %User Temp%\ns{random characters}.tmp\UserInfo.dll
- %User Temp%\ns{random characters}.tmp\inetc.dll
- %User Temp%\ns{random characters}.tmp\2258_tmp
- %User Temp%\ns{random characters}.tmp\I Want This_tmp
Step 5
Search and delete these folders
- %User Temp%\~nsu.tmp
- %User Temp%\ns{random characters}.tmp
Step 6
Scan your computer with your Trend Micro product to delete files detected as ADW_GAMEPLAYLABS.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.
Did this description help? Tell us how we did.