Analysis by: Sabrina Lei Sioting
 PLATFORM:

Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003, Windows XP (32-bit, 64-bit), Windows Vista (32-bit, 64-bit), Windows 7 (32-bit, 64-bit)

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

  • Threat Type: Backdoor

  • Destructiveness: No

  • Encrypted: Yes

  • In the wild: Yes

  OVERVIEW

This backdoor arrives on a system as a file dropped by other malware or as a file downloaded unknowingly by users when visiting malicious sites.

It disables Task Manager, Registry Editor, and Folder Options.

  TECHNICAL DETAILS

File Size: 1,088,620 bytes
File Type: EXE
Memory Resident: Yes
Initial Samples Received Date: 20 Jun 2011

Arrival Details

This backdoor 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 backdoor drops the following copies of itself into the affected system:

  • %Application Data%\HostProcess\{malware name}.exe

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

It drops the following files:

  • %Application Data%\dclogs\{date executed}-{number}.dc
  • %User Temp%\vbc.exe

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

It creates the following folders:

  • %Application Data%\dclogs
  • %Application Data%\HostProcess

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

Autostart Technique

This backdoor adds the following registry entries to enable its automatic execution at every system startup:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
HostProcess = "%Application Data%\HostProcess\{malware name}.exe"

Other System Modifications

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

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\
System
EnableLUA = "0"

It adds the following registry keys as part of its installation routine:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\DC3_FEXEC

It creates the following registry entry(ies) to disable Task Manager, Registry Tools and Folder Options:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\
System
DisableTaskMgr = "1"

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\
System
DisableRegistryTools = "1"

Other Details

This backdoor connects to the following possibly malicious URL:

  • {BLOCKED}ster1.no-ip.org
  • {BLOCKED}ginmedia.net

  SOLUTION

Minimum Scan Engine: 9.300

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

Identify and terminate files detected as BKDR_FYNLOS.SS

[ Learn More ]
  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. If the detected file is not displayed in either Windows Task Manager or Process Explorer, continue doing the next steps.

Step 3

To enable Registry Editor, Task Manager, and Folder options:

  1. Open Notepad. To do this:
    • For Windows 2000, XP, and Server 2003 users:
      Click Start > Run, type Notepad in the text box provided, then press Enter.
    • For Windows Vista and 7 users:
      Click Start > type NotepadOn Error Resume Next Set shl = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell") shl.RegDelete "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\\Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Policies\\System\\DisableRegistryTools" shl.RegDelete "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\\Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Policies\\System\\DisableTaskMgr" , then press Enter.
  2. Copy and paste the following script:
  3. Save this file asOn Error Resume Next Set shl = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell") shl.RegDelete "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\\Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Policies\\System\\DisableRegistryTools" shl.RegDelete "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\\Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Policies\\System\\DisableTaskMgr" On Error Resume Next Set shl = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell") shl.RegDelete "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\\Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Policies\\System\\DisableRegistryTools" shl.RegDelete "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\\Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Policies\\System\\DisableTaskMgr" C:RESTORE.VBS.
  4. Click Start>Run again, type C:RESTORE.VBS in the text box provided, then press Enter.
  5. Click Yes at theOn Error Resume Next Set shl = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell") shl.RegDelete "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\\Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Policies\\System\\DisableRegistryTools" shl.RegDelete "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\\Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Policies\\System\\DisableTaskMgr" On Error Resume Next Set shl = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell") shl.RegDelete "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\\Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Policies\\System\\DisableRegistryTools" shl.RegDelete "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\\Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Policies\\System\\DisableTaskMgr" prompt of the message box to execute the .VBS file.

Step 4

Delete this registry key

[ Learn More ]

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. Before you could do this, you must restart in Safe Mode. For instructions on how to do this, you may refer to this page If the preceding step requires you to restart in safe mode, you may proceed to edit the system registry.

  • In HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software
    • DC3_FEXEC

Step 5

Delete this registry value

[ Learn More ]

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_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
    • HostProcess = "%Application Data%\HostProcess\{malware name}.exe"
  • In HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System
    • EnableLUA = "0"

Step 6

Search and delete these folders

[ Learn More ]
Please make sure you check the Search Hidden Files and Folders checkbox in the More advanced options option to include all hidden folders in the search result.
  • %Application Data%\dclogs
  • %Application Data%\HostProcess

Step 7

Search and delete these files

[ Learn More ]
There may be some component files that are hidden. Please make sure you check the Search Hidden Files and Folders checkbox in the More advanced options option to include all hidden files and folders in the search result.
  • %Application Data%\dclogs\{date executed}-{number}.dc
  • %User Temp%\vbc.exe

Step 8

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