Analysis by: Erika Bianca Mendoza

 PLATFORM:

Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003

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

  • Threat Type: Trojan

  • Destructiveness: No

  • Encrypted: No

  • In the wild: Yes

  OVERVIEW

This Trojan may be unknowingly downloaded by a user while visiting malicious websites.

It adds certain registry entries to disable the Task Manager. This action prevents users from terminating the malware process, which can usually be done via the Task Manager.

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: 424,448 bytes
File Type: EXE
Memory Resident: Yes
Initial Samples Received Date: 24 May 2011

Arrival Details

This Trojan may be unknowingly downloaded by a user while visiting malicious websites.

Installation

This Trojan drops the following files:

  • %System Root%\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\{random number}.exe - detected by Trend Micro as TROJ_FAKEAV.SMCJ

(Note: %System Root% is the root folder, which is usually C:\. It is also where the operating system is located.)

It drops the following copies of itself into the affected system:

  • %System Root%\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\{random}.exe

(Note: %System Root% is the root folder, which is usually C:\. It is also where the operating system is located.)

Autostart Technique

This Trojan adds the following registry entries to enable its automatic execution at every system startup:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
{random} = "%System Root%\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\{random}.exe"

Other System Modifications

This Trojan adds the following registry entries to disable the Task Manager:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\
System
DisableTaskMgr = "1"

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\policies\
system
DisableTaskMgr = "1"

Dropping Routine

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