Analysis by: Mark Joseph Manahan

ALIASES:

Win32/Dorkbot.B worm (Eset), Worm:Win32/Dorkbot.A (Microsoft), W32/IRCbot.ax!a (McAfee)

 PLATFORM:

Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003

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

  • Threat Type: Worm

  • Destructiveness: No

  • Encrypted: No

  • In the wild: Yes

  OVERVIEW

Infection Channel: Propagates via removable drives

This worm arrives via removable drives. It arrives on a system as a file dropped by other malware or as a file downloaded unknowingly by users when visiting malicious sites.

It drops copies of itself in all removable drives. It drops an AUTORUN.INF file to automatically execute the copies it drops when a user accesses the drives of an affected system.

It connects to a website to send and receive information.

  TECHNICAL DETAILS

File Size: 966,656 bytes
File Type: EXE
Memory Resident: Yes
Initial Samples Received Date: 08 Oct 2012
Payload: Connects to URLs/IPs, Steals information, Compromises system security

Arrival Details

This worm arrives via removable drives.

It 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 worm drops the following copies of itself into the affected system:

  • %User Profile%\Application Data\{random}.exe

(Note: %User Profile% is the current user's profile folder, which is usually C:\Windows\Profiles\{user name} on Windows 98 and ME, C:\WINNT\Profiles\{user name} on Windows NT, and C:\Documents and Settings\{user name} on Windows 2000, XP, and Server 2003.)

It injects threads into the following normal process(es):

  • explorer.exe
  • winlogon.exe

Autostart Technique

This worm adds the following registry entries to enable its automatic execution at every system startup:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
{random} = "%User Profile%\Application Data\{random}.exe"

Propagation

This worm drops copies of itself in all removable drives.

It drops an AUTORUN.INF file to automatically execute the copies it drops when a user accesses the drives of an affected system.

The said .INF file contains the following strings:

[AutoRun]
;{garbage characters}
shellexecute=RECYCLER\{malware file name}.exe
;{garbage characters}
icon=shell32.dll,7
;{garbage characters}
shell\open\command=RECYCLER\{malware file name}.exe
;{garbage characters}
action=Open folder to view files
;{garbage characters}
shell\explore\command=RECYCLER\{malware file name}.exe
;{garbage characters}
useautoplay=1

It sends copies of itself to target recipients using the following instant-messaging (IM) applications:

  • mIRC
  • Pidgin
  • Windows Live Messenger
  • Msn Messenger

Backdoor Routine

This worm connects to the following websites to send and receive information:

  • gate.{BLOCKED}r.pl
  • sp.{BLOCKED}p.kz

Other Details

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

  • http://api.wipmania.com/

NOTES:

It monitors the user's browsing activities. It gathers the user's login ID, password, and email when the site accessed by the user contains the following strings:

  • *.moneybookers.*/*login.pl
  • *1and1.com/xml/config*
  • *4shared.com/login*
  • *:2082/login*
  • *:2083/login*
  • *:2086/login*
  • *:2222/CMD_LOGIN*
  • *FLN-Password=*
  • *LoginPassword=*
  • *Passwd=*
  • *Password=*
  • *TextfieldPassword=*
  • *alertpay.com/login*
  • *aol.*/*login.psp*
  • *bcointernacional*login*
  • *bebo.*/c/home/ajax_post_lifestream_comment
  • *bebo.*/c/profile/comment_post.json
  • *bebo.*/mail/MailCompose.jsp*
  • *bigstring.*/*index.php*
  • *clave=*
  • *depositfiles.*/*/login*
  • *dotster.com/*login*
  • *dyndns*/account*
  • *enom.com/login*
  • *facebook.*/ajax/*MessageComposerEndpoint.php*
  • *facebook.*/ajax/chat/send.php*
  • *facebook.*/login.php*
  • *fastmail.*/mail/*
  • *fileserv.com/login*
  • *filesonic.com/*login*
  • *freakshare.com/login*
  • *friendster.*/rpc.php
  • *friendster.*/sendmessage.php*
  • *gmx.*/*FormLogin*
  • *godaddy.com/login*
  • *google.*/*ServiceLoginAuth*
  • *hackforums.*/member.php
  • *hotfile.com/login*
  • *letitbit.net*
  • *login.live.*/*post.srf*
  • *login.yahoo.*/*login*
  • *loginUserPassword=*
  • *login_password=*
  • *mediafire.com/*login*
  • *megaupload.*/*login*
  • *members*.iknowthatgirl*/members*
  • *members.brazzers.com*
  • *moniker.com/*Login*
  • *namecheap.com/*login*
  • *netflix.com/*ogin*
  • *netload.in/index*
  • *officebanking.cl/*login.asp*
  • *oron.com/login*
  • *paypal.*/webscr?cmd=_login-submit*
  • *runescape*/*weblogin*
  • *screenname.aol.*/login.psp*
  • *secure.logmein.*/*logincheck*
  • *sendspace.com/login*
  • *service=youtube*
  • *signin.ebay*SignIn
  • *sms4file.com/*/signin-do*
  • *speedyshare.com/login*
  • *steampowered*/login*
  • *thepiratebay.org/login*
  • *torrentleech.org/*login*
  • *twitter.*/*direct_messages/new*
  • *twitter.*/*status*/update*
  • *twitter.com/sessions
  • *uploaded.to/*login*
  • *uploading.com/*login*
  • *vip-file.com/*/signin-do*
  • *vkontakte.ru/api.php
  • *vkontakte.ru/mail.php
  • *vkontakte.ru/wall.php
  • *webnames.ru/*user_login*
  • *what.cd/login*
  • *whcms*dologin*
  • *youporn.*/login*

It attempts to steal user credentials used in the following websites:

  • 1and1
  • 4shared
  • Alertpay
  • Bcointernacional
  • Bebo
  • BigString
  • Brazzers
  • Clave
  • Depositfiles
  • Dotster
  • DynDNS
  • Ebay
  • Email
  • FLN-Password
  • FLN-UserName
  • Facebook
  • Fastmail
  • Fileserve
  • Filesonic
  • Freakshare
  • Friendster
  • Gmail
  • Godaddy
  • Hackforums
  • Hotfile
  • IKnowThatGirl
  • Letitbit
  • LogMeIn
  • Mediafire
  • Megaupload
  • Message
  • Moneybookers
  • Moniker
  • Namecheap
  • Netflix
  • Netload
  • OfficeBanking
  • Passwd
  • PayPal
  • Runescape
  • Sendspace
  • Sms4file
  • Speedyshare
  • Steam
  • Thepiratebay
  • Torrentleech
  • Twitter
  • Uploaded
  • Uploading.com
  • Vip-file
  • Vkontakte
  • Webnames
  • Whatcd
  • Yahoo
  • YouPorn
  • YouTube

It has the following backdoor capabilities:

  • Block DNS
  • Create processes
  • Download other files
  • Insert iframe tags into HTML files
  • Join an IRC channel
  • Log in to FTP sites
  • Perfrom Slowloris, UDP, and SYN flooding
  • Run Reverse Socks4 proxy server
  • Steal login credentials
  • Update Itself
  • Visit a website

It may also prevent the user from using the following applications:

  • cmd.exe
  • ipconfig.exe
  • regedit.exe
  • regsvr32.exe
  • rundll32.exe
  • verclsid.exe

It drops a shortcut file named RECYCLER pointing to the copy of itself in removable drives.

It blocks users from accessing websites with the following strings:

  • avira.
  • avast.
  • bitdefender.
  • bullguard.
  • clamav.
  • comodo.
  • emsisoft.
  • eset.
  • f-secure.
  • fortinet.
  • garyshood.
  • gdatasoftware.
  • heck.tc
  • iseclab.
  • jotti.
  • kaspersky.
  • lavasoft.
  • malwarebytes.
  • mcafee.
  • norman.
  • norton.
  • novirusthanks.
  • onecare.live.
  • onlinemalwarescanner.
  • pandasecurity.
  • precisesecurity.
  • sophos.
  • sunbeltsoftware.
  • symantec
  • threatexpert.
  • trendmicro.
  • viruschief.
  • virscan.
  • virus.
  • virusbuster.nprotect.
  • virustotal.
  • webroot.

  SOLUTION

Minimum Scan Engine: 9.200
VSAPI OPR PATTERN File: 9.449.00

Step 1

For Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 users, before doing any scans, please make sure you disable System Restore to allow full scanning of your computer.

Step 2

Scan your computer with your Trend Micro product and note files detected as WORM_DORKBOT.IH

Step 3

Restart in Safe Mode

[ Learn More ]

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_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
    • {random} = %User Profile%\Application Data\{random}.exe

Step 5

Search and delete AUTORUN.INF files created by WORM_DORKBOT.IH that contain these strings

[ Learn More ]
[AutoRun]
;{garbage characters}
shellexecute=RECYCLER\{malware file name}.exe
;{garbage characters}
icon=shell32.dll,7
;{garbage characters}
shell\open\command=RECYCLER\{malware file name}.exe
;{garbage characters}
action=Open folder to view files
;{garbage characters}
shell\explore\command=RECYCLER\{malware file name}.exe
;{garbage characters}
useautoplay=1

Step 6

Search and delete the file detected as WORM_DORKBOT.IH

[ Learn More ]

Step 7

Restart in normal mode and scan your computer with your Trend Micro product for files detected as WORM_DORKBOT.IH. 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.


Did this description help? Tell us how we did.