WORM_HAMWEQ.MRT
Trojan.Win32.VBKrypt.abgx (Kaspersky)
Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003
Threat Type: Worm
Destructiveness: No
Encrypted: No
In the wild: Yes
OVERVIEW
This worm arrives by connecting affected removable drives to a system.
It drops copies of itself into all the removable drives connected to an affected system. It drops an AUTORUN.INF file to automatically execute the copies it drops when a user accesses the drives of an affected system.
It opens a hidden Internet Explorer window.
It receives commands from a server that may be controlled by a bot or a malicious user.
TECHNICAL DETAILS
Arrival Details
This worm arrives by connecting affected removable drives to a system.
Installation
This worm drops the following copies of itself into the affected system:
- %User Profile%\Application Data\Microsoft\svchost.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.)
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
Startup = "%User Profile%\Application Data\Microsoft\svchost.exe"
Other System Modifications
This worm adds the following registry keys:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Ninjaz
Propagation
This worm drops copies of itself into all the removable drives connected to an affected system.
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]
shell=verb
open=svchost.exe
action=Open folder to view files
shell\open=Open
icon=%SystemRoot%\system32\SHELL32.dll,4
Backdoor Routine
This worm opens the following port(s) where it listens for remote commands:
- TCP port 3086
It opens a hidden Internet Explorer window.
It connects to the following URL(s) to send and receive commands from a remote malicious user:
- {BLOCKED}9.{BLOCKED}5.19.116
Denial of Service
This worm receives commands from a server that may be controlled by a bot or a malicious user.
SOLUTION
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
Restart in Safe Mode
Step 3
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
- Startup = %User Profile%\Application Data\Microsoft\svchost.exe
- Startup = %User Profile%\Application Data\Microsoft\svchost.exe
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.
- In HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\
- Ninjaz
- Ninjaz
Step 5
Search and delete AUTORUN.INF files created by WORM_HAMWEQ.MRT that contain these strings
Step 6
Restart in normal mode and scan your computer with your Trend Micro product for files detected as WORM_HAMWEQ.MRT. 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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