PUA_HAO.GA
Riskware/Hao123 (Fortinet), ESET-NOD32 Win32/Hao123.E potentially unwanted (ESET-NOD32), HEUR:Trojan.Win32.StartPage (Kaspersky)
Windows
Threat Type: Potentially Unwanted Application
Destructiveness: No
Encrypted:
In the wild: Yes
OVERVIEW
This potentially unwanted application may arrive bundled with malware packages as a malware component. 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 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
Arrival Details
This potentially unwanted application may arrive bundled with malware packages as a malware component.
It 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:
- %Desktop%\Hao123.lnk
- %User Profile%\My Documents\Baidu\Hao123\JP\Hao123.ico - Windows XP and below.
- %User Profile%\Documents\Baidu\Hao123\JP\Hao123.ico - Windows Vista and above.
(Note: %Desktop% is the desktop folder, where it usually is C:\Documents and Settings\{user name}\Desktop in Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003, and Windows XP (32- and 64-bit); C:\Users\{user name}\Desktop in 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.. %User Profile% is the current user's profile folder, which is usually C:\Documents and Settings\{user name} on Windows 2000, XP, and Server 2003, or C:\Users\{user name} on Windows Vista and 7.)
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://jp.{BLOCKED}3.com/?tn=ime_inner_hp_13_hao123_jp&business_platform&
SOLUTION
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 this file
- %Desktop%\Hao123.lnk
- %User Profile%\My Documents\Baidu\Hao123\JP\Hao123.ico - Windows XP and below
- %User Profile%\Documents\Baidu\Hao123\JP\Hao123.ico - Windows Vista and above
Step 4
Reset the Internet Explorer Home and Search pages
Step 5
Scan your computer with your Trend Micro product to delete files detected as PUA_HAO.GA. 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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