Analysis by: Noel Anthony Llimos
ALIASES:

Exploit.Win32.Agent.iak (Kaspersky)

 PLATFORM:

Windows

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

  • Threat Type: Exploit

  • Destructiveness: No

  • Encrypted: No

  • In the wild: Yes

  OVERVIEW

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

This Exploit 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 takes advantage of certain vulnerabilities.

  TECHNICAL DETAILS

File Size: 183,296 bytes
File Type: DLL
Memory Resident: Yes
Initial Samples Received Date: 05 Sep 2018
Payload: Exploits vulnerability

Arrival Details

This Exploit 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.

Other Details

This Exploit does the following:

  • It overwrites "%Program Files%\Google\Update\GoogleUpdate.exe" with a copy of BKDR_POWPOOL.A , this makes the file run under Admin Privileges and executed when the updater is called.

It takes advantage of the following vulnerabilities:

  SOLUTION

Minimum Scan Engine: 9.850
FIRST VSAPI PATTERN FILE: 14.486.08
FIRST VSAPI PATTERN DATE: 05 Sep 2018
VSAPI OPR PATTERN File: 14.487.00
VSAPI OPR PATTERN Date: 06 Sep 2018

Step 1

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 2

Before doing any scans, Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7 users must disable System Restore to allow full scanning of their computers.

Step 3

Scan your computer with your Trend Micro product to delete files detected as TROJ64_EXPALPC.A. 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:

NOTES:

  1. Restart in Safe Mode.
  2. Restore the following file from backup: Program Files%\Google\Update\GoogleUpdate.exe.
  3. Restart in Normal Mode


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