Analysis by: Byron Jon Gelera

ALIASES:

JS/TrojanDownloader.Agent.QCX (ESET-NOD32); JS/Nemucod.tn (McAfee); JS.Downloader (Symantec)

 PLATFORM:

Windows

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

  • Threat Type: Trojan

  • Destructiveness: No

  • Encrypted: Yes

  • In the wild: Yes

  OVERVIEW

Infection Channel: Dropped by other malware, Downloaded from the Internet, Spammed via email

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

It executes the downloaded files. As a result, malicious routines of the downloaded files are exhibited on the affected system. As of this writing, the said sites are inaccessible.

  TECHNICAL DETAILS

File Size: 2,706 bytes
File Type: JS
Memory Resident: No
Initial Samples Received Date: 04 Apr 2017
Payload: Connects to URLs/IPs, Downloads files, Executes files

Arrival Details

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

It 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 an attachment to the following email messages spammed by other malware/grayware or malicious users:

  • The malware arrives as an embedded file on a document:

Download Routine

This Trojan accesses the following websites to download files:

  • http://disk.{BLOCKED}iongarden.com/js60.bin

It saves the files it downloads using the following names:

  • %Application Data%\Microsoft\Windows\Templates\{random number}.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.)

It then executes the downloaded files. As a result, malicious routines of the downloaded files are exhibited on the affected system.

As of this writing, the said sites are inaccessible.

Other Details

This Trojan does the following:

  • It does not proceed with its routine if the current year is not 2017.
  • It queries the data of the registry entry HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\SystemRoot and uses the second character of this data for its decryption. The decryption will not work if the second character is not ":".

  SOLUTION

Minimum Scan Engine: 9.850
FIRST VSAPI PATTERN FILE: 13.318.03
FIRST VSAPI PATTERN DATE: 04 Apr 2017
VSAPI OPR PATTERN File: 13.319.00
VSAPI OPR PATTERN Date: 05 Apr 2017

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

Search and delete these files

[ Learn More ]
There may be some 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%\Microsoft\Windows\Templates\{random number}.exe

Step 4

Scan your computer with your Trend Micro product to delete files detected as JS_NEMUCOD.ELDSAUDV. 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.