TSPY_EMOTET.THAOIAN
Windows
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 may be downloaded by other malware/grayware/spyware from remote sites.
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.
It may be downloaded by other malware/grayware/spyware from remote sites.
Installation
This Trojan Spy drops the following copies of itself into the affected system and executes them:
- %AppDataLocal%\Microsoft\Windows\{string 1}{string 2}.exe - drops the file here if it has no admin privileges
- %System%\{string 1}{string 2}.exe - drops the file here if it has admin privileges
where {string 1} and {string 2} is a combination of any of the following strings:- agent
- app
- audio
- bio
- bits
- cache
- card
- cart
- cert
- com
- crypt
- dcom
- defrag
- device
- dhcp
- dns
- event
- evt
- flt
- gdi
- group
- help
- home
- host
- info
- iso
- launch
- log
- logon
- lookup
- man
- math
- mgmt
- msi
- ncb
- net
- nv
- nvidia
- proc
- prop
- prov
- provider
- reg
- rpc
- screen
- search
- sec
- server
- service
- shed
- shedule
- spec
- srv
- storage
- svc
- sys
- system
- task
- time
- video
- view
- win
- window
- wlan
- wmi
(Note: %AppDataLocal% is the Application Data folder found in Local Settings, where it is usually C:\Documents and Settings\{user name}\Local Settings\Application Data on Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003, and Windows XP (32- and 64-bit); C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Local 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.. %System% is the Windows system folder, where it usually is C:\Windows\System32 on all Windows operating system versions.)
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\CurrentControlSet\
services\{string 1}{string 2}
ImagePath = "%System%\{string 1}{string 2}.exe" if it has admin privileges
where {string 1} and {string 2} is the same name as the drop file
It adds the following registry entries to enable its automatic execution at every system startup:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
{string 1}{string 2} = "%AppDataLocal%\Microsoft\Windows\{string 1}{string 2}.exe" if it has no admin privileges
Other Details
This Trojan Spy connects to the following possibly malicious URL:
- http://198.61.2{BLOCKED}74:443/