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PUA.Win32.Installbrain.AK

September 20, 2022
 Analysis by: Eleazar Valles
 ALIASES:

PUA/InstallBrain.Gen (ANTIVIR)

 PLATFORM:

Windows

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

  • Threat Type: Potentially Unwanted Application

  • Destructiveness: No

  • Encrypted: No

  • In the wild: Yes

  OVERVIEW

Infection Channel:

Downloaded from the Internet, Dropped by other malware


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

It does not have any propagation routine.

It does not have any backdoor routine.

It connects to certain websites to send and receive information. However, as of this writing, the said sites are inaccessible.

  TECHNICAL DETAILS

File Size:

1,325,464 bytes

File Type:

EXE

Memory Resident:

No

Initial Samples Received Date:

16 Sep 2022

Payload:

Drops files, Connects to URLs/IPs, Downloads files, Displays message/message boxes

Arrival Details

This Potentially Unwanted Application 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 Potentially Unwanted Application drops the following files:

  • %User Temp%\{Random}\{Random}
  • %User Temp%\{Random}\gui\ajax-loader.gif
  • %User Temp%\{Random}\gui\ajax-loader2.gif
  • %User Temp%\{Random}\gui\ib\arrow.gif
  • %User Temp%\{Random}\gui\ib\b-bg.gif
  • %User Temp%\{Random}\gui\ib\b3.gif
  • %User Temp%\{Random}\gui\ib\b4.gif
  • %User Temp%\{Random}\gui\ib\lbg-bottom.gif
  • %User Temp%\{Random}\gui\ib\lbg-top.gif
  • %User Temp%\{Random}\gui\ib\lbg.gif
  • %User Temp%\{Random}\gui\ib\trust.gif
  • %User Temp%\{Random}\gui\ib\center2.jpg
  • %User Temp%\{Random}\gui\check.jpg
  • %User Temp%\{Random}\gui\ib\mid.jpg
  • %User Temp%\{Random}\gui\pb-bg-left.jpg
  • %User Temp%\{Random}\gui\pb-bg-right.jpg
  • %User Temp%\{Random}\gui\pb-bg.jpg
  • %User Temp%\{Random}\gui\red-pb-act-left.jpg
  • %User Temp%\{Random}\gui\red-pb-act-right.jpg
  • %User Temp%\{Random}\gui\red-pb-act.jpg
  • %User Temp%\{Random}\gui\ib\arrow.png
  • %User Temp%\{Random}\gui\ib\btn.png
  • %User Temp%\{Random}\gui\ib\btn2.png
  • %User Temp%\{Random}\gui\ib\corn1.png
  • %User Temp%\{Random}\gui\ib\corn2.png
  • %User Temp%\{Random}\gui\ib\corn3.png
  • %User Temp%\{Random}\gui\ib\corn4.png
  • %User Temp%\{Random}\gui\page_3979_attr_3.png
  • %User Temp%\{Random}\gui\page_3980_attr_3.png
  • %User Temp%\{Random}\gui\page_3980_feature_.png
  • %User Temp%\{Random}\gui\page_3981_attr_3.png
  • %User Temp%\{Random}\gui\page_3982_attr_3.png
  • %User Temp%\{Random}\gui\page_3982_feature_835.png
  • %User Temp%\{Random}\gui\page_3984_attr_3.png
  • %User Temp%\{Random}\gui\page_3985_attr_3.png
  • %User Temp%\{Random}\gui\page_3986_attr_3.png
  • %User Temp%\{Random}\gui\page_3987_attr_3.png
  • %User Temp%\{Random}\gui\page_3988_attr_3.png
  • %User Temp%\{Random}\gui\page_3989_attr_3.png
  • %User Temp%\{Random}\gui\page_4074_attr_3.png
  • %User Temp%\{Random}\gui\template_40.png
  • %User Temp%\{Random}\gui\page_3979_attr_46.bmp
  • %User Temp%\{Random}\gui\page_3980_attr_46.bmp
  • %User Temp%\{Random}\gui\page_3981_attr_46.bmp
  • %User Temp%\{Random}\gui\page_3982_attr_46.bmp
  • %User Temp%\{Random}\gui\page_3984_attr_46.bmp
  • %User Temp%\{Random}\gui\page_3985_attr_46.bmp
  • %User Temp%\{Random}\gui\page_3986_attr_46.bmp
  • %User Temp%\{Random}\gui\page_3987_attr_46.bmp
  • %User Temp%\{Random}\gui\page_3988_attr_46.bmp
  • %User Temp%\{Random}\gui\page_3989_attr_46.bmp
  • %User Temp%\{Random}\gui\page_4074_attr_46.bmp
  • %User Temp%\{Random}\gui\speedanalysis.ico
  • %User Temp%\{Random}\wizard.xml
  • %User Temp%\{Random}\gui\3979.html
  • %User Temp%\{Random}\gui\3980.html
  • %User Temp%\{Random}\gui\3981.html
  • %User Temp%\{Random}\gui\3982.html
  • %User Temp%\{Random}\gui\3984.html
  • %User Temp%\{Random}\gui\3985.html
  • %User Temp%\{Random}\gui\3986.html
  • %User Temp%\{Random}\gui\3987.html
  • %User Temp%\{Random}\gui\3988.html
  • %User Temp%\{Random}\gui\3989.html
  • %User Temp%\{Random}\gui\4074.html
  • %User Temp%\{Random}\gui\ib\main - копия.css
  • %User Temp%\{Random}\gui\ib\main.css
  • %User Temp%\{Random}\gui\conditions\conditions.js
  • %User Temp%\{Random}\gui\js\config.js
  • %User Temp%\{Random}\gui\events\events.js
  • %User Temp%\{Random}\gui\js\jquery-1.7.min.js
  • %User Temp%\{Random}\gui\js\jquery.noselect.min.js
  • %User Temp%\{Random}\gui\js\smart.js
  • %User Temp%\{Random}\gui\js\utils.js
  • %User Temp%\{Random}\app_6055.part
  • %User Temp%\{Random}\app_3873.part
  • %User Temp%\{Random}\intallLog
  • %User Temp%\{Random}\SearchProtectInstaller
  • %User Temp%\{Random}\ZulaGamesSetup
  • %User Temp%\{Random}\app_{Random}.part
  • %User Temp%\{Random}\app_{Random}.decrpt
  • %User Temp%\{Random}\PCPerformerSetup
  • %User Temp%\{Random}\SpeedanAlysisSetup
  • %User Temp%\{Random}\unZIPExpressSetup
  • %User Temp%\UnZipExpress{Random}.exe
  • %User Temp%\{Random}.bat

(Note: %User Temp% is the current user's Temp folder, which is usually C:\Documents and Settings\{user name}\Local Settings\Temp on Windows 2000(32-bit), XP, and Server 2003(32-bit), or C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Local\Temp on Windows Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, 2008(64-bit), 2012(64-bit) and 10(64-bit).)

It adds the following processes:

  • cmd /c %User Temp%\{Random}.bat

(Note: %User Temp% is the current user's Temp folder, which is usually C:\Documents and Settings\{user name}\Local Settings\Temp on Windows 2000(32-bit), XP, and Server 2003(32-bit), or C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Local\Temp on Windows Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, 2008(64-bit), 2012(64-bit) and 10(64-bit).)

Propagation

This Potentially Unwanted Application does not have any propagation routine.

Backdoor Routine

This Potentially Unwanted Application does not have any backdoor routine.

Rootkit Capabilities

This Potentially Unwanted Application does not have rootkit capabilities.

Information Theft

This Potentially Unwanted Application accesses the following websites to download its configuration/component files:

  • http://www.{BLOCKED}s.com/files/components/embededstub.exe
  • http://www.{BLOCKED}s.com/files/components/ZulaGamesSetupW.exe
  • http://www.{BLOCKED}s.com/files/products/PCPerformerSetup_genericv3_W.cf
  • http://www.{BLOCKED}s.com/files/components/SpeedanAlysisSetupW.exe
  • http://www.{BLOCKED}s.com/files/products/unZIPExpressSetup.exe

Other Details

This Potentially Unwanted Application connects to the following website to send and receive information:

  • http://api.{BLOCKED}o.com/events
  • http://inststats-1582571262.us-east-1.elb.{BLOCKED}aws.com/service/stats.php?sv=1

It does the following:

  • It sends the following information during installation:
    • Time and Date Installed
    • Component ID
    • Session ID
    • Language
    • GCLID
    • Country
  • It deletes all created files and folders after execution
  • Displays the following during installation:

However, as of this writing, the said sites are inaccessible.

  SOLUTION

Minimum Scan Engine:

9.800

SSAPI PATTERN File:

2.551.00

SSAPI PATTERN Date:

22 Sep 2022

Step 1

Trend Micro Predictive Machine Learning detects and blocks malware at the first sign of its existence, before it executes on your system. When enabled, your Trend Micro product detects this malware under the following machine learning name:

     
    • TROJ.Win32.TRX.XXPE50FFF060

Step 2

Before doing any scans, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, and Windows 10 users must disable System Restore to allow full scanning of their computers.

Step 3

Scan your computer with your Trend Micro product to delete files detected as PUA.Win32.Installbrain.AK. 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 the following Trend Micro Support pages for more information:


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