Analysis by: Rommel Abraham Joven
ALIASES:

Downloader.Ponik(Symantec); Trojan:Win32/Emotet.D(Microsoft); W32/BQZH!tr(Fortinet)

 PLATFORM:

Windows

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

  • Threat Type: Trojan

  • Destructiveness: No

  • Encrypted:

  • In the wild: Yes

  OVERVIEW

This Trojan arrives on a system as a file dropped by other malware or as a file downloaded unknowingly by users when visiting malicious sites.

However, as of this writing, the said sites are inaccessible. It deletes itself after execution.

  TECHNICAL DETAILS

File Size: 151,620 bytes
File Type: EXE
Initial Samples Received Date: 09 Dec 2014

Arrival Details

This Trojan 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 the following copies of itself into the affected system:

  • %Application Data%\Identities\{random filename}.exe

(Note: %Application Data% is the Application Data folder, where it usually is C:\Documents and Settings\{user name}\Application Data on Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003, and Windows XP (32- and 64-bit); C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Roaming on 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.)

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 filename}.exe = "%Application Data%\Identities\{random filename}.exe"

Other System Modifications

This Trojan adds the following registry keys:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Netscape\
5.0\{random 1}\e{random 1}

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Netscape\
5.0\{random 1}\q{random 1}

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Netscape\
5.0\{random 1}\w{random 1}

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Local AppWizard-Generated Application1\
conedraw\Recent File List

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Local AppWizard-Generated Application1\
conedraw\Settings

It adds the following registry entries:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings
GlobalUserOffline = "0"

Other Details

This Trojan connects to the following possibly malicious URL:

  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.86.207:8080/{Random 1}/{Random 2}/
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.1.22:8080/{Random 1}/{Random 2}/
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.174.192:8080/{Random 1}/{Random 2}/
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.174.144:8080/{Random 1}/{Random 2}/
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.59.191:8080/{Random 1}/{Random 2}/
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.213.92:8080/{Random 1}/{Random 2}/
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.231.167:8080/{Random 1}/{Random 2}/
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.59.161:8080/{Random 1}/{Random 2}/
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.249.53:8080/{Random 1}/{Random 2}/
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.170.164:8080/{Random 1}/{Random 2}/
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.169.146:8080/{Random 1}/{Random 2}/
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.174.192:8080/{Random 1}/{Random 2}/
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.24:8080/{Random 1}/{Random 2}/
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.174.144:8080/{Random 1}/{Random 2}/
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.24.35:8080/{Random 1}/{Random 2}/
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.123.186:8080/{Random 1}/{Random 2}/
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.162.180:8080/{Random 1}/{Random 2}/
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.220.50:8080/{Random 1}/{Random 2}/
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.110.43:8080/{Random 1}/{Random 2}/
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.17.185:8080/{Random 1}/{Random 2}/
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.199.119:8080/{Random 1}/{Random 2}/
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.99.214:8080/{Random 1}/{Random 2}/
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.26.52:8080/{Random 1}/{Random 2}/
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.111.17:8080/{Random 1}/{Random 2}/

However, as of this writing, the said sites are inaccessible.

It deletes itself after execution.