This malware is downloaded by the zero-day exploit leveraging the vulnerability covered under CVE-2014-4114, also known as "Sandworm."
To get a one-glance comprehensive view of the behavior of this Trojan, refer to the Threat Diagram shown below.
This Trojan may be downloaded from remote sites by other malware.
It is used to load and execute a file.
Arrival Details
This Trojan may be downloaded from remote site(s) by the following malware:
Other System Modifications
This Trojan modifies the following file(s):
- renames slide1.gif to slide1.gif.exe - detected as BKDR_BLACKEN.A
It adds the following registry entries as part of its installation routine:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Microsoft\Windows\
CurrentVersion\RunOnce
Install = "{malware path}\slide1.gif.exe"
Other Details
This Trojan is used to load and execute the following file:
- {malware path}\slide1.gif.exe - detected as BKDR_BLACKEN.A
Step 1
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 2
Remove the malware/grayware file that dropped/downloaded INF_BLACKEN.A. (Note: Please skip this step if the threat(s) listed below have already been removed.)
Step 3
Restart in Safe Mode
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To restart in Safe Mode:
• For Windows 2000 users
- Restart your computer.
- Press F8 when you see the Starting Windows bar at the bottom of the screen.
- Choose the Safe Mode option from the Windows Advanced Options menu then press Enter.
• For Windows XP users
- Restart your computer.
- Press F8 after the Power-On Self Test (POST) routine is done. If the Windows Advanced Options menu does not appear, try restarting then pressing F8 several times when the POST screen appears.
- Choose the Safe Mode option from the Windows Advanced Options menu then press Enter.
• For Windows Server 2003 users
- Restart your computer.
- Press F8 after Windows starts up. If the Windows Advanced Options menu does not appear, try restarting again and pressing F8 several times afterward.
- On the Windows Advanced Option menu, use the arrow keys to select Safe Mode then press Enter.
• For Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Windows Server 2008 users
- Restart your computer.
- Press F8 after the Power-On Self Test (POST) routine is done. If the Advanced Boot Options menu does not appear, try restarting and then pressing F8 several times after the POST screen is displayed.
- On the Advanced Boot Options menu, use the arrow keys to select the Safe Mode option, and then press Enter.
• For Windows 8, Windows 8.1, and Windows Server 2012 users
- Access the Charms bar by moving your mouse pointer to the upper right corner of the screen.
- Move your mouse pointer down and click Settings>Change your PC Settings.
- In the left panel, click General.
- In the right panel, scroll down to the bottom to find the Advanced startup section, then click the Restart now button and wait for the system to restart.
- In the Advanced Startup menu, click Troubleshoot>Advanced Options>Startup Settings>Restart and wait for the system to restart.
- In the Startup Settings menu, press 4 to enable safe mode.
Step 4
Delete this registry value
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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_LOCAL_MACHINE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
- Install = "{malware path}\slide1.gif.exe"
To delete the registry value this malware/grayware created:
- Open Registry Editor.
» For Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003 users, click Start>Run, type regedit in the text box provided, and then press Enter.
» For Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Windows Server 2008 users, click the Start button, type regedit in the Search input field then press Enter.
» For Windows 8, Windows 8.1, and Windows Server 2012 users, right-click on the lower-left corner of the screen, click Run, type regedit in the text box provided, and then press Enter. - In the left panel, double-click the following:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE>Microsoft>Windows>CurrentVersion>RunOnce - In the right panel, locate and delete the entry:
Install = "{malware path}\slide1.gif.exe" - Close Registry Editor.
Step 5
Search and delete this file
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There may be some files that are hidden. Please make sure you check the
Search Hidden Files and Folders checkbox in the "More advanced options" option to include all hidden files and folders in the search result.
- {malware path}\slide1.gif.exe
To manually delete a malware/grayware file from an affected system:
•For Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 (R2), Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows 10, and Windows Server 2012 (R2):
- Open a Windows Explorer window.
- For Windows 7 and Server 2008 (R2) users, click Start>Computer.
- For Windows 8, 8.1, 10, and Server 2012 (R2) users, right-click on the lower-left corner of the screen,then click File Explorer.
- In the Search Computer/This PC input box, type:
- {malware path}\slide1.gif.exe
- Once located, select the file then press SHIFT+DELETE to delete it.
*Note: Read the following Microsoft page if these steps do not work on Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 (R2).
Step 6
Restart in normal mode and scan your computer with your Trend Micro product for files detected as INF_BLACKEN.A. 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.
