TROJ_ARTIEF.NCK

February 17, 2015

Analysis by: Rika Joi Gregorio

ALIASES:

Exploit:Win32/CVE-2012-0158.CJ(Microsoft), Exploit-CVE2014-1761!rtf(McAfee), Win32/Exploit.CVE-2012-0158.LU trojan(Eset), Exploit.CVE-2012-0158(Ikarus)

PLATFORM:

Windows

OVERALL RISK RATING:

DAMAGE POTENTIAL:

DISTRIBUTION POTENTIAL:

REPORTED INFECTION:

INFORMATION EXPOSURE:

Threat Type: Trojan
Destructiveness: No
Encrypted:
In the wild: Yes

OVERVIEW

Infection Channel: Via email, Downloaded from the Internet

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 executes the dropped file(s). As a result, malicious routines of the dropped files are exhibited on the affected system.

TECHNICAL DETAILS

File Size: 820,218 bytes

File Type: RTF

Memory Resident: No

Initial Samples Received Date: 16 Feb 2015

Payload: Drops 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.

Installation

This Trojan drops and executes the following files:

%User Profile%\Local Settings\{file name}.exe - detected as BKDR_CARBANAK.A

(Note: %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.)

Dropping Routine

This Trojan takes advantage of the following software vulnerabilities to drop malicious files:

CVE-2012-0158

It executes the dropped file(s). As a result, malicious routines of the dropped files are exhibited on the affected system.

NOTES:

The {file name} of the dropped file may be any of the following:

ntxobj
spoolsv

SOLUTION

Minimum Scan Engine: 9.700

FIRST VSAPI PATTERN FILE: 11.482.04

FIRST VSAPI PATTERN DATE: 17 Feb 2015

VSAPI OPR PATTERN File: 11.483.00

VSAPI OPR PATTERN Date: 17 Feb 2015

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

Remove malware/grayware files dropped/downloaded by TROJ_ARTIEF.NCK. (Note: Please skip this step if the threats listed below have already been removed.)

BKDR_CARBANAK.A

Step 3

Scan your computer with your Trend Micro product to delete files detected as TROJ_ARTIEF.NCK. 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.

Step 4

Download and apply these security patches Refrain from using these products until the appropriate patches have been installed. Trend Micro advises users to download critical patches upon release by vendors.