ADW_INSTACORE.GE
Windows
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.
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.
Installation
This adware drops the following files:
- %User Temp%\{random}.log
- %User Temp%\7.1031530823134625_Update.exe
- %User Temp%\ICReinstall_ICReinstall_FileOpenerSetup.exe
- %User Temp%\is{random}\52614A36_stp.EXE
- %User Temp%\is{random}\52614A36_stp.EXE.part
- %User Temp%\is{random}\css\ie6_main.css
- %User Temp%\is{random}\css\main.css
- %User Temp%\is{random}\css\sdk-ui\browse.css
- %User Temp%\is{random}\css\sdk-ui\button.css
- %User Temp%\is{random}\css\sdk-ui\checkbox.css
- %User Temp%\is{random}\css\sdk-ui\images\button-bg.png
- %User Temp%\is{random}\css\sdk-ui\images\progress-bg-corner.png
- %User Temp%\is{random}\css\sdk-ui\images\progress-bg.png
- %User Temp%\is{random}\css\sdk-ui\images\progress-bg2.png
- %User Temp%\is{random}\css\sdk-ui\progress-bar.css
- %User Temp%\is{random}\csshover3.htc
- %User Temp%\is{random}\dat\upd.DAT
- %User Temp%\is{random}\form.bmp.Mask
- %User Temp%\is{random}\images\Close.png
- %User Temp%\is{random}\images\Close_Hover.png
- %User Temp%\is{random}\images\Color_Button.png
- %User Temp%\is{random}\images\Color_Button_Hover.png
- %User Temp%\is{random}\images\Grey_Button.png
- %User Temp%\is{random}\images\Grey_Button_Hover.png
- %User Temp%\is{random}\images\Loader.gif
- %User Temp%\is{random}\images\Logo.png
- %User Temp%\is{random}\images\Progress.png
- %User Temp%\is{random}\images\ProgressBar.png
- %User Temp%\is{random}\images\text-bg.png
- %User Temp%\is{random}\locale\DE.locale
- %User Temp%\is{random}\locale\EN.locale
- %User Temp%\is{random}\locale\ES.locale
- %User Temp%\is{random}\locale\FR.locale
- %User Temp%\is{random}\locale\IT.locale
- %User Temp%\is{random}\locale\PL.locale
- %User Temp%\is{random}\locale\PT.locale
- %User Temp%\is{random}\locale\RU.locale
- %User Temp%\is{random}\locale\UA.locale
- %User Temp%\is{random}\bootstrap_32553.html
- %User Temp%\is{random}\css\ie6_main.css
- %User Temp%\is{random}\css\main.css
- %User Temp%\is{random}\css\sdk-ui\browse.css
- %User Temp%\is{random}\css\sdk-ui\button.css
- %User Temp%\is{random}\css\sdk-ui\checkbox.css
- %User Temp%\is{random}\css\sdk-ui\images\button-bg.png
- %User Temp%\is{random}\css\sdk-ui\images\progress-bg-corner.png
- %User Temp%\is{random}\css\sdk-ui\images\progress-bg.png
- %User Temp%\is{random}\css\sdk-ui\images\progress-bg2.png
- %User Temp%\is{random}\css\sdk-ui\progress-bar.css
- %User Temp%\is{random}\csshover3.htc
- %User Temp%\is{random}\dat\upd.DAT
- %User Temp%\is{random}\form.bmp.Mask
- %User Temp%\is{random}\images\Close.png
- %User Temp%\is{random}\images\Close_Hover.png
- %User Temp%\is{random}\images\Color_Button.png
- %User Temp%\is{random}\images\Color_Button_Hover.png
- %User Temp%\is{random}\images\Grey_Button.png
- %User Temp%\is{random}\images\Grey_Button_Hover.png
- %User Temp%\is{random}\images\Loader.gif
- %User Temp%\is{random}\images\Logo.png
- %User Temp%\is{random}\images\Progress.png
- %User Temp%\is{random}\images\ProgressBar.png
- %User Temp%\is{random}\images\text-bg.png
- %User Temp%\is{random}\locale\DE.locale
- %User Temp%\is{random}\locale\EN.locale
- %User Temp%\is{random}\locale\ES.locale
- %User Temp%\is{random}\locale\FR.locale
- %User Temp%\is{random}\locale\IT.locale
- %User Temp%\is{random}\locale\PL.locale
- %User Temp%\is{random}\locale\PT.locale
- %User Temp%\is{random}\locale\RU.locale
- %User Temp%\is{random}\locale\UA.locale
- %Desktop%\Continue File Opener Installation.lnk
- %Program Files%\Tweaks\FileOpener\7z.dll
- %Program Files%\Tweaks\FileOpener\fileopener.exe
- %Program Files%\Tweaks\FileOpener\uninstall.exe
- %Program Files%\is{random}.log
- %Start Menu%\Programs\FileOpener\FileOpener.lnk
- %Start Menu%\Programs\FileOpener\uninstall.lnk
- %Desktop%\FileOpener.lnk
(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.. %Desktop% is the desktop folder, where it usually is C:\Documents and Settings\{user name}\Desktop in Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003, and Windows XP (32- and 64-bit); C:\Users\{user name}\Desktop in 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.. %Program Files% is the Program Files folder, where it usually is C:\Program Files on all Windows operating system versions; C:\Program Files (x86) for 32-bit applications running on Windows 64-bit operating systems.. %Start Menu% is the Start Menu folder, where it usually is C:\Documents and Settings\{user name}\Start Menu on Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003, and Windows XP (32- and 64-bit); C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu 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%\is{random}
- %Program Files%\Tweaks
- %Program Files%\Tweaks\FileOpener
- %Start Menu%\Programs\FileOpener
(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.. %Program Files% is the Program Files folder, where it usually is C:\Program Files on all Windows operating system versions; C:\Program Files (x86) for 32-bit applications running on Windows 64-bit operating systems.. %Start Menu% is the Start Menu folder, where it usually is C:\Documents and Settings\{user name}\Start Menu on Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003, and Windows XP (32- and 64-bit); C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu 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 adds the following registry keys:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\
Tweaks FileOpener
It adds the following registry entries:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\
Tweaks FileOpener
DisplayName = "FileOpener"
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\
Tweaks FileOpener
UninstallString = "%Program Files%\Tweaks\FileOpener\uninstall.exe"
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\
Tweaks FileOpener
QuietUninstallString = ""%Program Files%\Tweaks\FileOpener\uninstall.exe" /S"
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\
Tweaks FileOpener
InstallLocation = "%Program Files%\Tweaks\FileOpener"
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\
Tweaks FileOpener
DisplayIcon = "%Program Files%\Tweaks\FileOpener\fileopener.exe"
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\
Tweaks FileOpener
Publisher = "Tweaks"
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\
Tweaks FileOpener
HelpLink = "http://free-file-opener.com/uninstall.html"
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\
Tweaks FileOpener
URLUpdateInfo = "http://free-file-opener"
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\
Tweaks FileOpener
URLInfoAbout = "http://free-file-opener"
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\
Tweaks FileOpener
NoModify = "1"
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\
Tweaks FileOpener
NoRepair = "1"
Other Details
This adware connects to the following possibly malicious URL:
- http://os.{BLOCKED}efileopen.com/CM_DS/?v={value}&c={value}
- http://os2.{BLOCKED}efileopen.com/CM_DS/?v={value}&c={value}
- http://rp.{BLOCKED}deoconverter.com/?pcrc={value}&v={value}
- http://rp.{BLOCKED}efileopen.com/?pcrc={value}&v={value}
- http://s3.{BLOCKED}aws.com/Tweaks/distros/FileOpenerSetupG.exe
- http://{BLOCKED}efileopen.com/file-opener/welcome/oc/?iv=0
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_INSTACORE.GE
- 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
Delete this registry key
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\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall
- Tweaks FileOpener
- Tweaks FileOpener
Step 5
Search and delete these folders
- %User Temp%\is{random}
- %Program Files%\Tweaks
- %Start Menu%\Programs\FileOpener
Step 6
Search and delete this file
- %User Temp%\{random}.log
- %User Temp%\ICReinstall_ICReinstall_FileOpenerSetup.exe
- %Desktop%\Continue File Opener Installation.lnk
- %Program Files%\is{random}.log
- %Desktop%\FileOpener.lnk
Step 7
Scan your computer with your Trend Micro product to delete files detected as ADW_INSTACORE.GE. 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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