Analysis by: John Anthony Banes
ALIASES:

W32/MindSpark.B (F-Protect); Win32/Toolbar.MyWebSearch.BA (NOD32); PUA.Mindsparki.Gen (QuickHeal)

 PLATFORM:

Windows

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

  • Threat Type: Potentially Unwanted Application

  • Destructiveness: No

  • Encrypted:

  • In the wild: Yes

  OVERVIEW

This Potentially Unwanted Application arrives on a system as a file dropped by other malware or as a file downloaded unknowingly by users when visiting malicious sites. It may be manually installed by a user.

It modifies the user's Internet Explorer home page into a certain website. This action allows the malware to point to a website which may contain malware, putting the affected computer at greater risk of malware infection.

  TECHNICAL DETAILS

File Size: 392,064 bytes
File Type: EXE
Memory Resident: No
Initial Samples Received Date: 02 Nov 2018

Arrival Details

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

It may be manually installed by a user.

Installation

This Potentially Unwanted Application drops the following files:

  • %AppDataLocal%\NewNoteCenterTooltab\TooltabExtension.dll
  • %User Temp%\nsl{random}.tmp\cancel_blue_1485898776659.bmp
  • %User Temp%\nsl{random}.tmp\Install_ENG_1436200260055.bmp
  • %User Temp%\nsl{random}.tmp\installerParams
  • %User Temp%\nsl{random}.tmp\NNC_msi_bg-copy_1501796453152.bmp
  • %User Temp%\nsl{random}.tmp\NNC_msi_bg-copy_1501796469441.bmp
  • %User Temp%\nsl{random}.tmp\nsDialogs.dll
  • %User Temp%\nsl{random}.tmp\reporting
  • %User Temp%\nsl{random}.tmp\secondary_accept.png
  • %User Temp%\nsl{random}.tmp\secondary_bg.png
  • %User Temp%\nsl{random}.tmp\secondary_decline.png
  • %User Temp%\nsl{random}.tmp\System.dll

(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 Potentially Unwanted Application adds the following registry keys:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\NewNoteCenter

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\
NewNoteCenterTooltab Uninstall Internet Explorer

It adds the following registry entries:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\NewNoteCenter
Start Page = http://hp.{BLOCKED}y.com/newnotecenter/ttab02/index.html?n=C07647D&p2=^CSK^mni000^TTAB02&ptb=23965061-4DF8-416C-8120-5C691D512924&coid=7c0402c57bf44615b80717aa60d2e607

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\
NewNoteCenterTooltab Uninstall Internet Explorer
DisplayName = NewNoteCenter Internet Explorer Homepage and New Tab

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\
NewNoteCenterTooltab Uninstall Internet Explorer
UninstallString = Rundll32.exe "%AppDataLocal%\NewNoteCenterTooltab\TooltabExtension.dll" U uninstall:NewNoteCenter

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

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

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

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\NewNoteCenter
UnInstallSurveyUrl = http://@{downloadDomain}.dl.{BLOCKED}ay.com/uninstall.jhtml?surveyUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.research.net%2Fr%2FHYSCVNM%3Fc%3D23965061-4DF8-416C-8120-5C691D512924%26ptb%3D^CSK^mni000^TTAB02

Web Browser Home Page and Search Page Modification

This Potentially Unwanted Application modifies the user's Internet Explorer home page to the following websites:

  • http://hp.{BLOCKED}y.com/newnotecenter/ttab02/index.html?n=C07647D&p2=^CSK^mni000^TTAB02&ptb=23965061-4DF8-416C-8120-5C691D512924&coid=7c0402c57bf44615b80717aa60d2e607

Other Details

This Potentially Unwanted Application connects to the following possibly malicious URL:

  • http://anx.{BLOCKED}ark.com/anx.gif?anxa=CAPDownloadProcess&anxe=Error&errorCode=-16&errorType=nsisError&errorDetails=&platform=vicinio&anxv=2.8.1.1000&anxd=2017-10-11&coid=&refPartner=^CSK^mni000^TTAB02&refSub=&anxl=en-US&anxr=-2110691947&refCobrand=CSK&refCampaign=mni000&refTrack=TTAB02&refCountry=
  • http://anx.{BLOCKED}ark.com/anx.gif?anxa=CAPDownloadProcess&anxe=Error&errorCode=-8&errorType=nsisError&errorDetails=1%2Eexe&platform=vicinio&anxv=2.8.1.1000&anxd=2017-10-11&coid=7c0402c57bf44615b80717aa60d2e607&refPartner=^CSK^mni000^TTAB02&refSub=&anxl=en-US&anxr=2144340283&refCobrand=CSK&refCampaign=mni000&refTrack=TTAB02&refCountry=
  • http://dp.tb.{BLOCKED}k.com:443
  • https://dp.tb.{BLOCKED}k.com/installerParams.jhtml?coId=7c0402c57bf44615b80717aa60d2e607
  • http://anx.{BLOCKED}ark.com/anx.gif?anxa=CAPDownloadProcess&anxe=Error&errorCode=-13&errorType=nsisError&errorDetails=EmptyPartnerId&platform=vicinio&anxv=2.8.1.1000&anxd=2017-10-11&coid=7c0402c57bf44615b80717aa60d2e607&refPartner=^CSK^mni000^TTAB02&refSub=&anxl=en-US&anxr=-2041584984&refCobrand=CSK&refCampaign=mni000&refTrack=TTAB02&refCountry=
  • http://anx.{BLOCKED}ark.com/anx.gif?anxa=CAPDownloadProcess&anxe=InstallerInvoked&platform=vicinio&anxv=2.8.1.1000&anxd=2017-10-11&coid=7c0402c57bf44615b80717aa60d2e607&refPartner=^CSK^mni000^TTAB02&refSub=&anxl=en-US&anxr=2083715745&refCobrand=CSK&refCampaign=mni000&refTrack=TTAB02&refCountry=
  • http://anx.{BLOCKED}ark.com/anx.gif?anxa=CAPDownloadProcess&anxe=InstallerFinished&tbUID=23965061-4DF8-416C-8120-5C691D512924&tbVer=&platform=vicinio&anxv=2.8.1.1000&anxd=2017-10-11&coid=7c0402c57bf44615b80717aa60d2e607&refPartner=^CSK^mni000^TTAB02&refSub=&anxl=en-US&anxr=2057085250&refCobrand=CSK&refCampaign=mni000&refTrack=TTAB02&refCountry=