Analysis by: Paul Steven Nadera
ALIASES:

Win32/Emotet.BN trojan (NOD32); Trojan-Banker.Win32.Emotet.eqmr (Kaspersky); Trojan:Win32/Emotet.ARJ!MTB (Microsoft)

 PLATFORM:

Windows

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

  • Threat Type: Trojan Spy

  • Destructiveness: No

  • Encrypted:

  • In the wild: Yes

  OVERVIEW

This Trojan Spy 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 then deletes itself afterward.

  TECHNICAL DETAILS

File Size: 319,805 bytes
File Type: EXE
Memory Resident: Yes

Arrival Details

This Trojan Spy 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 Spy drops the following files:

  • %All Users Profile%\vn8dYikaxFG.exe
  • %System%\trnsacquire.exe
  • %System%\devicesformat.exe
  • %Windows%\Temp\5908.tmp
  • %Windows%\Temp\5927.tmp
  • %Windows%\Temp\5928.tmp
  • %Windows%\Temp\5929.tmp

(Note: %All Users Profile% is the common user's profile folder, which is usually C:\Documents and Settings\All Users on Windows 2000(32-bit), XP, and Server 2003(32-bit), or C:\ProgramData on Windows Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, 2008(64-bit), 2012(64-bit) and 10(64-bit). . %System% is the Windows system folder, where it usually is C:\Windows\System32 on all Windows operating system versions.. %Windows% is the Windows folder, where it usually is C:\Windows on all Windows operating system versions.)

It adds the following processes:

  • %User Temp%\1529dcd3dc108771d0ebfcb92136b95dafd599f5.exe --995e96b4
  • "%System%\trnsacquire.exe"
  • %System%\trnsacquire.exe --35843687
  • "%System%\trnsacquire.exe" /scomma "%Windows%\TEMP\5927.tmp"
  • "%System%\trnsacquire.exe" "%Windows%\TEMP\5908.tmp"
  • "%System%\trnsacquire.exe" "%Windows%\TEMP\5928.tmp"
  • "%System%\trnsacquire.exe" /scomma "%Windows%\TEMP\5929.tmp"
  • %All Users Profile%\vn8dYikaxFG.exe --7a28bce0

(Note: %User Temp% is the current user's Temp folder, which is usually C:\Documents and Settings\{user name}\Local Settings\Temp on Windows 2000(32-bit), XP, and Server 2003(32-bit), or C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Local\Temp on Windows Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, 2008(64-bit), 2012(64-bit) and 10(64-bit).. %System% is the Windows system folder, where it usually is C:\Windows\System32 on all Windows operating system versions.. %Windows% is the Windows folder, where it usually is C:\Windows on all Windows operating system versions.. %All Users Profile% is the common user's profile folder, which is usually C:\Documents and Settings\All Users on Windows 2000(32-bit), XP, and Server 2003(32-bit), or C:\ProgramData on Windows Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, 2008(64-bit), 2012(64-bit) and 10(64-bit). )

It executes then deletes itself afterward.

Autostart Technique

This Trojan Spy adds and runs the following services:

  • trnsacquire

It registers its dropped component as a system service to ensure its automatic execution at every system startup. It does this by creating the following registry keys:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\
services\devicesformat
Image Path = "%System%\devicesformat.exe"

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\
services\trnsacquire
Image Path = "%System%\trnsacquire.exe"

Other System Modifications

This Trojan Spy deletes the following files:

  • %System%\privacyduck.exe
  • %User Temp%\1529dcd3dc108771d0ebfcb92136b95dafd599f5.exe
  • %System%\trnsacquire.exe:Zone.Identifier
  • %Windows%\Temp\5928.tmp
  • %Windows%\Temp\5908.tmp
  • %Windows%\Temp\5927.tmp
  • %Windows%\Temp\5929.tmp
  • %System%\trnsacquire.exe
  • %All Users Profile%\vn8dYikaxFG.exe
  • %System%\devicesformat.exe:Zone.Identifier

(Note: %System% is the Windows system folder, where it usually is C:\Windows\System32 on all Windows operating system versions.. %User Temp% is the current user's Temp folder, which is usually C:\Documents and Settings\{user name}\Local Settings\Temp on Windows 2000(32-bit), XP, and Server 2003(32-bit), or C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Local\Temp on Windows Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, 2008(64-bit), 2012(64-bit) and 10(64-bit).. %Windows% is the Windows folder, where it usually is C:\Windows on all Windows operating system versions.. %All Users Profile% is the common user's profile folder, which is usually C:\Documents and Settings\All Users on Windows 2000(32-bit), XP, and Server 2003(32-bit), or C:\ProgramData on Windows Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, 2008(64-bit), 2012(64-bit) and 10(64-bit). )

Other Details

This Trojan Spy connects to the following possibly malicious URL:

  • http://{BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.126.129:443/sW3XVL03hN8z1
  • http://{BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.150.196:7080/pI4cypK7h69HH
  • http://{BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.126.129:443/khJI
  • http://{BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.150.196:7080/21tUhnh7wpQ7JTwH
  • http://{BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.126.129:443/gzJjqcMJ9ZbzPd86F
  • http://{BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.126.129:443/Biks
  • http://{BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.126.129:443/KEYyOav3dZwao
  • http://{BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.126.129:443/nGzN28jW3U0AQc
  • http://{BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.126.129:443/QywwPBQrPQ
  • http://{BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.126.129:443/ZgEl7fQDRhm
  • http://{BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.126.129:443/BZWVkjKV9FzQ5a5yHz
  • http://{BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.126.129:443/Z0TXPOvcS8pQ
  • http://{BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.126.129:443/sKVsp3YB1iqrwHP

  SOLUTION

Minimum Scan Engine: 9.850
FIRST VSAPI PATTERN FILE: 15.633.00
FIRST VSAPI PATTERN DATE: 20 Jan 2020
VSAPI OPR PATTERN File: 15.634.00
VSAPI OPR PATTERN Date: 21 Jan 2020

Step 1

Trend Micro Predictive Machine Learning detects and blocks malware at the first sign of its existence, before it executes on your system. When enabled, your Trend Micro product detects this malware under the following machine learning name:

     
    • Troj.Win32.TRX.XXPE50FFF034

Step 2

Before doing any scans, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, and Windows 10 users must disable System Restore to allow full scanning of their computers.

Step 3

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 4

Identify and terminate files detected as TrojanSpy.Win32.EMOTET.THABOBO

[ Learn More ]
  1. Windows Task Manager may not display all running processes. In this case, please use a third-party process viewer, preferably Process Explorer, to terminate the malware/grayware/spyware file. You may download the said tool here.
  2. If the detected file is displayed in either Windows Task Manager or Process Explorer but you cannot delete it, restart your computer in safe mode. To do this, refer to this link for the complete steps.
  3. If the detected file is not displayed in either Windows Task Manager or Process Explorer, continue doing the next steps.

Step 5

Disable this malware service

[ Learn More ]
    • trnsacquire
    • devicesformat

Step 6

Scan your computer with your Trend Micro product to delete files detected as TrojanSpy.Win32.EMOTET.THABOBO. 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:


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