TSPY_ZBOT.SMVEX

 Analysis by: Adrian Cofreros

 ALIASES:

Trojan-Spy.Win32.Zbot.qjim(Kaspersky),Win32/Spy.Zbot.AAU trojan(NOD32),TR/Crypt.XPACK.Gen(Antivir)

 PLATFORM:

Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003, Windows XP (32-bit, 64-bit), Windows Vista (32-bit, 64-bit), Windows 7 (32-bit, 64-bit)

 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, Dropped by other malware


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 may be downloaded by other malware/grayware from remote sites.

  TECHNICAL DETAILS

File Size:

364,544 bytes

File Type:

EXE

Memory Resident:

Yes

Initial Samples Received Date:

14 Oct 2013

Payload:

Connects to URLs/IPs

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.

It may be downloaded by the following malware/grayware from remote sites:

  • TROJ_UPATRE.AU

Installation

This spyware drops the following files:

  • %Application Data%\Microsoft\Address Book\{user name}.wab
  • %User Temp%\{random}.bat - Used to delete its initially executed copy and itself

(Note: %Application Data% is the current user's Application Data folder, which is usually C:\Documents and Settings\{user name}\Application Data on Windows 2000, XP, and Server 2003, or C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Roaming on Windows Vista and 7.. %User Temp% is the current user's Temp folder, which is usually C:\Documents and Settings\{user name}\Local Settings\Temp on Windows 2000, XP, and Server 2003, or C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Local\Temp on Windows Vista and 7.)

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

  • %Application Data%\{random folder name}\{random file name}.exe

(Note: %Application Data% is the current user's Application Data folder, which is usually C:\Documents and Settings\{user name}\Application Data on Windows 2000, XP, and Server 2003, or C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Roaming on Windows Vista and 7.)

It creates the following folders:

  • %Application Data%\Microsoft\Address Book
  • %Application Data%\{random folder name}

(Note: %Application Data% is the current user's Application Data folder, which is usually C:\Documents and Settings\{user name}\Application Data on Windows 2000, XP, and Server 2003, or C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Roaming on Windows Vista and 7.)

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

  • Global\{GUID}
  • Local\{GUID}

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

  • explorer.exe

Autostart Technique

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

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
{random file name} = "%Application Data%\{random folder name}\{random file name}.exe"

Other System Modifications

This spyware adds the following registry keys:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
{random}

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
WAB

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
WAB\WAB4

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
WAB\WAB4\Wab File Name

It adds the following registry entries:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
WAB\WAB4
OlkContactRefresh = "0"

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
WAB\WAB4
OlkFolderRefresh = "0"

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
WAB\WAB4\Wab File Name
(Default) = "%Application Data%\Microsoft\Address Book\{user name}.wab"

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
{random}
{random names} = "{random values}"

It creates the following registry entry(ies) to bypass Windows Firewall:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\
Services\SharedAccess\Parameters\
FirewallPolicy\StandardProfile\AuthorizedApplications\
List
%Windows%\explorer.exe = "%Windows%\explorer.exe:*:Enabled:Windows Explorer"

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\
Services\SharedAccess\Parameters\
FirewallPolicy\StandardProfile\GloballyOpenPorts\
List
{random port 1}:UDP = "{random port 1}:UDP:*:Enabled:UDP {random port 1}"

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\
Services\SharedAccess\Parameters\
FirewallPolicy\StandardProfile\GloballyOpenPorts\
List
{random port 2}:TCP = "{random port 2}:TCP:*:Enabled:TCP {random port 2}"

Information Theft

This spyware gathers the following data:

  • Email related information
  • Data on cookie files (URLs)

Other Details

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

  • http://www.google.com

NOTES:

This spyware collects information when it finds the following strings in certain applications:

  • bancline
  • bankman
  • cruisenet
  • dirclt32.exe
  • episys
  • fdmaster.exe
  • fidelity
  • gplusmain
  • jack henry
  • launchpadshell.exe
  • micrsolv
  • pcsws.exe
  • prologue.exe
  • silverlake
  • tellerplus
  • v48d0250s1
  • vantiv
  • wtng.exe

It attempts to download its configuration file by connecting to randomly generated IP addresses. The configuration file may contain URLs where it downloads an updated copy of itself and where it sends its gathered information. It may also contain URLs of its target online banking and finance-related sites from where it steals the information.

  SOLUTION

Minimum Scan Engine:

9.300

FIRST VSAPI PATTERN FILE:

10.332.02

FIRST VSAPI PATTERN DATE:

10 Oct 2013

VSAPI OPR PATTERN File:

10.333.00

VSAPI OPR PATTERN Date:

11 Oct 2013

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

Scan your computer with your Trend Micro product and note files detected as TSPY_ZBOT.SMVEX

Step 3

Remove malware/grayware files that dropped/downloaded TSPY_ZBOT.SMVEX

     
    • TROJ_UPATRE.AU

Step 4

Restart in Safe Mode

[ Learn More ]

Step 5

Delete this registry key

[ 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
    • WAB

Step 6

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 file name} = "%Application Data%\{random folder name}\{random file name}.exe"
  • In HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\SharedAccess\Parameters\FirewallPolicy\StandardProfile\AuthorizedApplications\List
    • %Windows%\explorer.exe = "%Windows%\explorer.exe:*:Enabled:Windows Explorer"
  • In HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\SharedAccess\Parameters\FirewallPolicy\StandardProfile\GloballyOpenPorts\List
    • {random port 1}:UDP = "{random port 1}:UDP:*:Enabled:UDP {random port 1}"
  • In HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\SharedAccess\Parameters\FirewallPolicy\StandardProfile\GloballyOpenPorts\List
    • {random port 2}:TCP = "{random port 2}:TCP:*:Enabled:TCP {random port 2}"

Step 7

Search and delete this folder

[ Learn More ]
Please make sure you check the Search Hidden Files and Folders checkbox in the More advanced options option to include all hidden folders in the search result.
  • %Application Data%\Microsoft\Address Book
  • %Application Data%\{random folder name}

Step 8

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

Step 9

The following created registry key(s) cannot be identified by the user since there are no reference values in the created key. The only way it can be identified is by comparing the present keys with a backup of the system registry. Note that the said key(s) do not have to be deleted since it won't be harmful to the system:

  • In HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft
    • {random}


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