Analysis by: Francesca Villasanta
ALIASES:

AdWare.Win32.OpenCandy.ffh (KASPERSKY)

 PLATFORM:

Windows

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

  • Threat Type: Potentially Unwanted Application

  • Destructiveness: No

  • Encrypted: No

  • In the wild: Yes

  OVERVIEW

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

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 does not have any propagation routine.

It does not have any backdoor routine.

  TECHNICAL DETAILS

File Size: 18,636,735 bytes
File Type: EXE
File Compression: SFX
Memory Resident: No
Initial Samples Received Date: 04 Jan 2023
Payload: Deletes files, Displays message/message boxes, Drops files

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.

Installation

This Potentially Unwanted Application drops the following files:

  • %System Root%\tools\PDFCreator.exe → detected as PUA.Win32.OPENCANDY.AE
  • %System Root%\tools\run.vbe
  • %System Root%\tools\RunAsX.exe

(Note: %System Root% is the Windows root folder, where it usually is C:\ on all Windows operating system versions.)

It adds the following processes:

  • %System%\WScript.exe "%System Root%\tools\run.vbe"
  • %System Root%\tools\RunAsX.exe /nologo /user:{username} /password:{password} "PDFCreator.exe"

(Note: %System Root% is the Windows root folder, where it usually is C:\ on all Windows operating system versions.)

It creates the following folders:

  • %System Root%\tools\

(Note: %System Root% is the Windows root folder, where it usually is C:\ on all Windows operating system versions.)

Other System Modifications

This Potentially Unwanted Application deletes the following files:

  • %System Root%\tools\PDFCreator.exe
  • %System Root%\tools\run.vbe
  • %System Root%\tools\RunAsX.exe

(Note: %System Root% is the Windows root folder, where it usually is C:\ on all Windows operating system versions.)

Propagation

This Potentially Unwanted Application does not have any propagation routine.

Backdoor Routine

This Potentially Unwanted Application does not have any backdoor routine.

Rootkit Capabilities

This Potentially Unwanted Application does not have rootkit capabilities.

Other Details

This Potentially Unwanted Application does the following:

  • It displays the following upon execution:

It does not exploit any vulnerability.

  SOLUTION

Minimum Scan Engine: 9.800
SSAPI PATTERN File: 2.583.00
SSAPI PATTERN Date: 05 Jan 2023

Step 1

Before doing any scans, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, and Windows 10 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 this file

[ 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.
  • %System Root%\tools\PDFCreator.exe
  • %System Root%\tools\run.vbe
  • %System Root%\tools\RunAsX.exe

Step 4

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.
  • %System Root%\tools

Step 5

Scan your computer with your Trend Micro product to delete files detected as PUA.Win32.OpenCandy.PCE. 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 the following Trend Micro Support pages for more information:


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