TrojanSpy.Win32.EMOTET.THCBFAI
Trojan:Win32/Fuerboos.C!cl (Microsoft); Win32.Outbreak (Ikarus)
Windows
Threat Type: Trojan Spy
Destructiveness: No
Encrypted: No
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 connects to certain websites to send and receive information. It deletes the initially executed copy of itself.
TECHNICAL DETAILS
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 copies of itself into the affected system and executes them:
- %System%\{string1}{string2}.exe - if run with admin privileges
- %AppDataLocal%\{string1}{string2}\{string1}{string2}.exe if run without admin privileges
{string1} and {string2} are randomly chosen from the following strings:
- adam
- admin
- alaska
- avatar
- avg
- based
- cbs
- culture
- daf
- dasmrc
- define
- detect
- dev
- diag
- eap
- earcon
- enroll
- form
- gen
- guids
- idl
- indexer
- iprop
- iss
- jersey
- lime
- mapi
- mdmmcd
- menus
- meta
- mfidl
- mini
- mouse
- neutral
- not
- panes
- pnp
- polic
- radar
- repl
- resw
- right
- ripple
- sat
- serv
- shader
- single
- slide
- source
- started
- subs
- svcs
- thunk
- tmpl
- tuip
- turned
- uuidgen
- vsc
- wab
- wcs
- wfp
- wgx
- without
- wordpad
- zip
(Note: %System% is the Windows system folder, where it usually is C:\Windows\System32 on all Windows operating system versions.. %AppDataLocal% is the Local Application Data folder, which is usually C:\Documents and Settings\{user name}\Local Settings\Application Data on Windows 2000, XP, and Server 2003, or C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Local on Windows Vista, 7, and 8.)
It adds the following processes:
- {Malware File Path}\{Malware File Name}.exe --{8 Random Characters}
- "%AppDataLocal%\{string1}{string2}\{string1}{string2].exe" = if run without admin privileges
- "%AppDataLocal%\{string1}{string2}\{string1}{string2].exe" --{8 Random Characters} = if run without admin privileges
- "%System%\{string1}{string2].exe" = if run with admin privileges
- "%System%\{string1}{string2].exe" --{8 Random Characters} = if run with admin privileges
(Note: %AppDataLocal% is the Local Application Data folder, which is usually C:\Documents and Settings\{user name}\Local Settings\Application Data on Windows 2000, XP, and Server 2003, or C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Local on Windows Vista, 7, and 8.. %System% is the Windows system folder, where it usually is C:\Windows\System32 on all Windows operating system versions.)
It creates the following folders:
- %AppDataLocal%\{string1}{string2} - If run without admin privileges
(Note: %AppDataLocal% is the Local Application Data folder, which is usually C:\Documents and Settings\{user name}\Local Settings\Application Data on Windows 2000, XP, and Server 2003, or C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Local on Windows Vista, 7, and 8.)
It adds the following mutexes to ensure that only one of its copies runs at any one time:
- Global\I{Volume Serial Number}
- Global\M{Volume Serial Number}
Autostart Technique
This Trojan Spy registers itself as a system service to ensure its automatic execution at every system startup by adding the following registry entries:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\
services\{string1}{string2}
Type = 16
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\
services\{string1}{string2}
Start = 2
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\
services\{string1}{string2}
ErrorControl = 0
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\
services\{string1}{string2}
ImagePath = %System%\{string1}{string2}.exe
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\
services\{string1}{string2}
DisplayName = {string1}{string2}
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\
services\{string1}{string2}
ObjectName = LocalSystem
It adds the following registry entries to enable its automatic execution at every system startup:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
{string1}{string2} = %AppDataLocal%\{string1}{string2}\{string1]{string2}.exe
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\ControlSet001\
services\{string1}{string2}
Information Theft
This Trojan Spy gathers the following data:
- Computer Name
- System Locale
- OS Version
- Running Processes
Other Details
This Trojan Spy connects to the following website to send and receive information:
- {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.129.88/{string/s}
- {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.61.94/{string/s}
- {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.182.236:7080/{string/s}
- {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.145.96:8090/{string/s}
- {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.152.129:8443/{string/s}
- {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.144.197:7080/{string/s}
- {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.193.173/{string/s}
Strings are randomly chosen from the following:
- acquire
- add
- arizona
- attrib
- badge
- balloon
- ban
- between
- bml
- cab
- child
- chunk
- codec
- cone
- cookies
- dev
- dma
- enable
- enabled
- entries
- forced
- free
- glitch
- guids
- health
- iab
- ices
- img
- iplk
- jit
- json
- loadan
- merge
- mult
- nsip
- odbc
- pnp
- prep
- prov
- psec
- publish
- raster
- report
- results
- ringin
- rtm
- schema
- scripts
- sess
- site
- splash
- srvc
- stubs
- sym
- symbols
- taskbar
- teapot
- tlb
- tpt
- usbccid
- vermont
- walkl
- window
- xian
It does the following:
- It accepts the following arguments to perform its routine:
- {Malware File Path}\{Malware File Name}.exe --{8 Random Characters} = Used for dropping the copy to %System% or %AppDataLocal%
- %System%\{string1}{string2}.exe --{8 Random Characters} = When run as admin needed arguments to perform its routine
- %AppDataLocal%\{string1}{string2}\{string1}{string2}.exe --{8 Random Characters} = When not run as admin needed arguments to perform its routine
- It will create a startup service if it has admin privileges, otherwise it will only create an autorun entry in the registry.
(Note: %AppDataLocal% is the Local Application Data folder, which is usually C:\Documents and Settings\{user name}\Local Settings\Application Data on Windows 2000, XP, and Server 2003, or C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Local on Windows Vista, 7, and 8.)
It deletes the initially executed copy of itself
SOLUTION
Step 1
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 2
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 3
Restart in Safe Mode
Step 4
Delete this registry key
Important: Editing the Windows Registry incorrectly can lead to irreversible system malfunction. Please do this step only if you know how or you can ask assistance from your system administrator. Else, check this Microsoft article first before modifying your computer's registry.
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\services\devslide
Step 5
Delete this registry value
Important: Editing the Windows Registry incorrectly can lead to irreversible system malfunction. Please do this step only if you know how or you can ask assistance from your system administrator. Else, check this Microsoft article first before modifying your computer's registry.
- In HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
- devslide = "C:\Users\{BLOCKED}er_732\AppData\Local\devslide\devslide.exe"
- devslide = "C:\Users\{BLOCKED}er_732\AppData\Local\devslide\devslide.exe"
Step 7
Restart in normal mode and scan your computer with your Trend Micro product for files detected as TrojanSpy.Win32.EMOTET.THCBFAI. 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.
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