BKDR_QAKBOT.ES

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

It sends the information it gathers to remote sites.

It prevents users from visiting antivirus-related websites that contain specific strings.

Arrival Details

This backdoor 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 backdoor drops the following copies of itself into the affected system:

• %User Profile%\Application Data\Microsoft\{random}\{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 drops the following non-malicious file:

• %User Profile%\Application Data\Microsoft\{random}\{random}.dll

(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 creates the following folders:

• %User Profile%\Application Data\Microsoft\{random}

(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 adds the following mutexes to ensure that only one of its copies runs at any one time:

• {malware name}a
• nekxhv

It injects itself into the following processes as part of its memory residency routine:

• explorer.exe
• iexplore.exe

Backdoor Routine

This backdoor connects to the following URL(s) to send and receive commands from a remote malicious user:

• {BLOCKED}istr.in
• {BLOCKED}vtkn.in.ua
• {BLOCKED}uytdk.info
• {BLOCKED}asudskfoe.org
• {BLOCKED}iakfuuasd.net
• {BLOCKED}iev.ua
• {BLOCKED}kiev.ua
• {BLOCKED}n.org
• {BLOCKED}nz.net
• {BLOCKED}mausj.org

Process Termination

This backdoor terminates the following processes if found running in the affected system's memory:

• msdev.exe
• dbgview.exe
• mirc.exe
• ollydbg.exe
• ctfmon.exe

Information Theft

This backdoor monitors the Internet Explorer (IE) activities of the affected system, specifically the address bar or title bar. It recreates a legitimate website with a spoofed login page if a user visits banking sites with the following strings in the address bar or title bar:

• /achupload
• /cmserver/
• /corpach/
• /ibws/
• /payments/ach
• /stbcorp/
• /wcmpr/
• /wcmpw/
• /wcmtr/
• /wiret
• achbatchlisting
• businessaccess.citibank.citigroup.com
• businessonline.huntington.com
• businessonline.tdbank.com
• cbs.firstcitizensonline.com
• chsec.wellsfargo.com
• commercial.wachovia.com
• commercial2.wachovia.com
• commercial3.wachovia.com
• commercial4.wachovia.com
• cpw-achweb.bankofamerica.com
• goldleafach.com
• iachwellsprod.wellsfargo.com
• ns.com
• scotiaconnect.scotiabank.com
• tcfexpressbusiness.com
• trz.tranzact.org
• ub-businessonline.blilk.com
• wc.wachovia.com
• wcp.wachovia.com
• webexpress.tdbank.com
• wellsoffice.wellsfargo.com

It sends the information it gathers to remote sites.

Other Details

This backdoor connects to the following URL(s) to check for an Internet connection:

• http://www.ip-adress.com/

It prevents users from visiting antivirus-related websites that contain the following strings:

• explabs.
• sanasecurity
• phishtank.com
• hautesecure.com
• truste.com
• clearclouddns
• webroot.
• agnitum
• ahnlab
• arcabit
• avast
• avg
• avira
• avp
• bitdefender
• bit9
• castlecops
• centralcommand
• clamav
• comodo
• computerassociates
• cpsecure
• defender
• drweb
• emsisoft
• esafe
• .eset
• etrust
• ewido
• fortinet
• f-prot
• f-secure
• gdata
• grisoft
• hacksoft
• hauri
• ikarus
• jotti
• k7computing
• kaspersky
• malware
• mcafee
• networkassociates
• nod32
• norman
• norton
• panda
• pctools
• prevx
• quickheal
• rising
• rootkit
• securecomputing
• sophos
• spamhaus
• spyware
• sunbelt
• symantec
• threatexpert
• threatfire
• trendmicro
• virus
• wilderssecurity
• windowsupdate
• update.microsoft.
• download.microsoft.

NOTES:

This backdoor is capable of connecting to a certain IRC server using a certain port and joins a channel where it receives commands from a malicious user. It sends the following information to its C&C server:

• data
• dnsname
• domain
• ext_ip
• host
• hostname
• install_time
• is_admin
• lb
• login
• nick
• os
• pass
• qbot_version
• time
• url
• user

This backdoor gathers passwords by monitoring the following applications:

• firefox.exe
• iexplore.exe
• msmsgs.exe
• msnmsgr.exe
• opera.exe
• outlook.exe
• skype.exe
• wscntfy.exe
• wuauclt.exe
• yahoomessenger.exe