Analysis by: Arvin Roi Macaraeg
ALIASES:

HEUR:AdWare.Win32.Agent.gen(Kaspersky)

 PLATFORM:

Windows

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

  • 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.

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

  TECHNICAL DETAILS

File Size: 381,792 bytes
File Type: EXE
Memory Resident: Yes
Initial Samples Received Date: 23 May 2018

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:

  • %AppDataLocal%\MyNewsGuideTooltab\TooltabExtension.dll
  • %User Temp%\nsz{4-Random Character}.tmp\secondary_accept.png
  • %User Temp%\nsz{4-Random Character}.tmp\secondary_bg.png
  • %User Temp%\nsz{4-Random Character}.tmp\secondary_decline.png

(Note: %AppDataLocal% is the Local Application Data folder, which is usually C:\Documents and Settings\{user name}\Local Settings\Application Data on Windows 2000, XP, and Server 2003, or C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Local on Windows Vista, 7, and 8.. %User Temp% is the current user's Temp folder, which is usually C:\Documents and Settings\{user name}\Local Settings\Temp on Windows 2000, XP, and Server 2003, or C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Local\Temp on Windows Vista, 7, and 8.)

It creates the following folders:

  • %AppDataLocal%\MyNewsGuideTooltab
  • %User Temp%\nsz{4-Random Character}.tmp

(Note: %AppDataLocal% is the Local Application Data folder, which is usually C:\Documents and Settings\{user name}\Local Settings\Application Data on Windows 2000, XP, and Server 2003, or C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Local on Windows Vista, 7, and 8.. %User Temp% is the current user's Temp folder, which is usually C:\Documents and Settings\{user name}\Local Settings\Temp on Windows 2000, XP, and Server 2003, or C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Local\Temp on Windows Vista, 7, and 8.)

Other System Modifications

This Adware adds the following registry entries as part of its installation routine:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Internet Explorer\Main
Start Page = "http://hp.{BLOCKED}y.com/mynewsguide/ttab02/index.html?n=C0760ED&p2=^BXZ^mni000^TTAB02&ptb=22F86B53-C1F3-4305-B7E0-2E821BA98A78&coid=89551634c0674c6cbe1414d79a83ac78"

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\MyNewsGuide
Start Page = "http://hp.{BLOCKED}y.com/mynewsguide/ttab02/index.html?n=C0760ED&p2=^BXZ^mni000^TTAB02&ptb=22F86B53-C1F3-4305-B7E0-2E821BA98A78&coid=89551634c0674c6cbe1414d79a83ac78"

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\MyNewsGuide
UnInstallSurveyUrl = http://@{downloadDomain}.dl.{BLOCKED}y.com/uninstall.jhtml?surveyUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.research.net%2Fr%2FHYSCVNM%3Fc%3D22F86B53-C1F3-4305-B7E0-2E821BA98A78%26ptb%3D^BXZ^mni000^TTAB02"

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Internet Explorer\TabbedBrowsing
NewTabPageShow = "1"

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\
MyNewsGuideTooltab Uninstall Internet Explorer
DisplayName = "MyNewsGuide Internet Explorer Homepage and New Tab"

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\
MyNewsGuideTooltab Uninstall Internet Explorer
UninstallString = "Rundll32.exe "C:\Users\dyituser_732\AppData\Local\MyNewsGuideTooltab\TooltabExtension.dll" U uninstall:MyNewsGuide"

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\
MyNewsGuideTooltab Uninstall Internet Explorer
Publisher = "Mindspark Interactive Network, Inc."

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\
MyNewsGuideTooltab Uninstall Internet Explorer
HelpLink = "http://support.{BLOCKED}ark.com/"

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\
MyNewsGuideTooltab Uninstall Internet Explorer
URLInfoAbout = "http://support.{BLOCKED}ark.com/"

Other Details

This Adware connects to the following possibly malicious URL:

  • anx.{BLOCKED}ark.com
  • http://hp.{BLOCKED}y.com/mynewsguide/ttab02/index.html?n=C0760ED&p2=^BXZ^mni000^TTAB02&ptb=22F86B53-C1F3-4305-B7E0-2E821BA98A78&coid=89551634c0674c6cbe1414d79a83ac78
  • http://anx.tb.{BLOCKED}k.com/anx.gif?anxuu=A71BFC6F-CD51-40F1-88EA-7AD7ED85D3D1&anxa=WebTooltab&anxv=webtooltab-2.1.1&anxd=-&anxsn=&anxu=http%3A%2F%2Fhp.myway.com%2Fmynewsguide%2Fttab02%2Findex.html&anxl=en&anxlv=0&anxrd=none&anxrp=-&anxrk=-&anxrm=-&anxrb=-&anxrc=-&anxrs=-&anxsq=2&anxt=22F86B53-C1F3-4305-B7E0-2E821BA98A78&anxp=%5EBXZ%5Emni000%5ETTAB02&anxsi=&buid=17cd1617-932e-44af-a8ea-1a6f8456e564&pageType=tab&productData=%7B%22coid%22%3A%2289551634c0674c6cbe1414d79a83ac78%22%2C%22pageLoad%22%3A1%7D&anxe=Heartbeat&anxr=378732657

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