Modified by: Cris Nowell Pantanilla

ALIASES:

TrojanSpy:MSIL/Golroted.B (Microsoft),

 PLATFORM:

Windows

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

  • Threat Type: Spyware

  • Destructiveness: No

  • Encrypted: Yes

  • In the wild: Yes

  OVERVIEW

Infection Channel: Downloaded from the Internet

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

It deletes the initially executed copy of itself.

  TECHNICAL DETAILS

File Size: 1,440,768 bytes
Memory Resident: Yes
Initial Samples Received Date: 27 May 2016
Payload: Connects to URLs/IPs, Steals information

Arrival Details

This spyware 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 spyware drops the following copies of itself into the affected system and executes them:

  • %Application Data%\Windows Update.exe
  • %Application Data%\WindowsUpdate.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.)

It drops the following files:

  • %Application Data%\pid.txt
  • %Application Data%\pidloc.txt

(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.)

It adds the following processes:

  • Windows Update.exe

Other System Modifications

This spyware adds the following registry entries:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
Windows Update = %Application Data%\Windows Update.exe

It modifies the following registry entries:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\
Advanced
Hidden = "1"

(Note: The default value data of the said registry entry is "{User Preference}".)

Information Theft

This spyware gathers the following data:

  • keyboard logs
  • clipboard logs
  • Screenshot
  • Local Date and Time
  • OS Version
  • Processor Information
  • Default Browser
  • .Net version
  • Installed AV
  • Installed Firewall
  • Internal IP Address
  • External IP Address

Other Details

This spyware connects to the following URL(s) to get the affected system's IP address:

  • http://whatismyipaddress.com

It does the following:

  • Attempts to get login credentials such as server, username and password from the following:
    • Microsoft FTP
    • FileZilla
    • FTP Commander
    • JDownloder v2.0
    • Steam
  • Attempts to get stored credential from the following:
      Eudora
    • MS Outlook
    • Google Desktop
    • Windows Mail
    • Windows Live Mail
    • Incredimail
    • Gmail
    • Hotmail/MSN
    • Yahoo! Mail
    • Netscape Mail
  • Attempts to get stored info such as username, password and hostnames from the following browsers:
    • Internet Explorer
    • Firefox
    • Chrome
    • Opera
    • Safari
    • SeaMonkey
  • It sends gathered information to the following email address via smtp.yandex.com:
    • {blocked}ys22@yandex.com

It deletes the initially executed copy of itself

  SOLUTION

Minimum Scan Engine: 9.800
FIRST VSAPI PATTERN FILE: 12.552.03
FIRST VSAPI PATTERN DATE: 27 May 2016
VSAPI OPR PATTERN File: 12.553.00
VSAPI OPR PATTERN Date: 28 May 2016

Step 1

Before doing any scans, Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7 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

Identify and terminate files detected as TSPY_GOLROTED.AAAGL

[ 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 4

Delete this registry value

[ Learn More ]

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_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
    • Windows Update = %Application Data%\Windows Update.exe

Step 5

Restore this modified registry value

[ Learn More ]

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\Explorer\Advanced
    • From: Hidden = "1"
      To: Hidden = "{User Preference}"

Step 6

Search and delete these files

[ Learn More ]
There may be some files that are hidden. Please make sure you check the Search Hidden Files and Folders checkbox in the "More advanced options" option to include all hidden files and folders in the search result.
%Application Data%\pid.txt
%Application Data%\pidloc.txt

Step 7

Scan your computer with your Trend Micro product to delete files detected as TSPY_GOLROTED.AAAGL. 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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