Analysis by: Pearl Charlaine Espejo
 PLATFORM:

Windows

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

  • Threat Type: Backdoor

  • Destructiveness: No

  • Encrypted:

  • In the wild: Yes

  OVERVIEW

This backdoor arrives as an attachment to email messages spammed by other malware/grayware or malicious users.

  TECHNICAL DETAILS

File Size: 302,592 bytes
File Type: EXE
Memory Resident: Yes
Initial Samples Received Date: 26 Oct 2016

Arrival Details

This backdoor arrives as an attachment to email messages spammed by other malware/grayware or malicious users.

Installation

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

  • %Application Data%\appdate.exe

(Note: %Application Data% is the Application Data folder, where it usually is C:\Documents and Settings\{user name}\Application Data on Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003, and Windows XP (32- and 64-bit); C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Roaming 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 backdoor adds the following registry entries to enable its automatic execution at every system startup:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
Microsoft iSCSI Initiator = "%Application Data%\appdate.exe"

Other Details

This backdoor connects to the following possibly malicious URL:

  • http://{BLOCKED}a.{BLOCKED}desk.com/{8 random hex character}FFFFFFFF.aspx

  SOLUTION

Minimum Scan Engine: 9.800
FIRST VSAPI PATTERN FILE: 12.874.08
FIRST VSAPI PATTERN DATE: 02 Nov 2016
VSAPI OPR PATTERN File: 12.875.00
VSAPI OPR PATTERN Date: 03 Nov 2016

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

Restart in Safe Mode

[ Learn More ]

Step 4

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
    • Microsoft iSCSI Initiator = "%Application Data%\appdate.exe"

Step 5

Restart in normal mode and scan your computer with your Trend Micro product for files detected as BKDR_PLUGX.ZKDK-AUSYY. 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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