ADW_StartSurf
Windows
![](/vinfo/imgFiles/legend.jpg)
Threat Type: Adware
Destructiveness: No
Encrypted:
In the wild: Yes
OVERVIEW
This adware arrives on a system as a file dropped by other malware or as a file downloaded unknowingly by users when visiting malicious sites.
TECHNICAL DETAILS
433,664 bytes
EXE
No
01 Nov 2016
Arrival Details
This adware 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 adware creates the following folders:
- %User Temp%\280015
(Note: %User Temp% is the user's temporary folder, where it usually is C:\Documents and Settings\{user name}\Local Settings\Temp on Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003, and Windows XP (32- and 64-bit); C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Local\Temp on Windows Vista (32- and 64-bit), Windows 7 (32- and 64-bit), Windows 8 (32- and 64-bit), Windows 8.1 (32- and 64-bit), Windows Server 2008, and Windows Server 2012.)
Other System Modifications
This adware modifies the following registry entries:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
DirectDraw\MostRecentApplication
Name = "{malware file name}"
(Note: The default value data of the said registry entry is iexplore.exe.)
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
DirectDraw\MostRecentApplication
ID = "5795cbcd"
(Note: The default value data of the said registry entry is 41107b81.)
Other Details
This adware connects to the following possibly malicious URL:
- 54.88.21.193
- 54.230.141.87
- 127.0.0.1
- 54.230.141.206
This report is generated via an automated analysis system.
SOLUTION
9.8
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
Restore these modified registry values
Important:Editing the Windows Registry incorrectly can lead to irreversible system malfunction. Please do this only if you know how to or you can seek your system administrator's help. You may also check out this Microsoft article first before modifying your computer's registry.
- In HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\DirectDraw\MostRecentApplication
- From: Name = "{malware file name}"
To: Name = ""iexplore.exe""
- From: Name = "{malware file name}"
- In HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\DirectDraw\MostRecentApplication
- From: ID = "5795cbcd"
To: ID = ""41107b81""
- From: ID = "5795cbcd"
Step 3
Search and delete this folder
- %User Temp%\280015
Step 4
Scan your computer with your Trend Micro product to delete files detected as ADW_StartSurf. 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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