SPYW_ARDAMAX
Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003
Threat Type: Spyware
Destructiveness: No
Encrypted:
In the wild: Yes
OVERVIEW
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.
TECHNICAL DETAILS
1,632,433 bytes
EXE
Yes
13 Mar 2014
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.
Installation
This spyware creates the following folders:
- %System Root%\DOCUME~1
- %System Root%\DOCUME~1\Wilbert
- %User Profile%\LOCALS~1
- %User Temp%\nsf6.tmp
- %User Profile%\Application Data\KCI
- %Start Menu%\Programs\?rd?m?x Keylogger 4.1
- %Start Menu%\Programs\?rd?m?x Keylogger 4.1.1
(Note: %System Root% is the root folder, which is usually C:\. It is also where the operating system is located.. %User Profile% is the current user's profile folder, which is usually C:\Documents and Settings\{user name} on Windows 2000, XP, and Server 2003, or C:\Users\{user name} 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.. %Start Menu% is the current user's Start Menu folder, which is usually C:\Windows\Start Menu or C:\Documents and Settings\{User name}\Start Menu on Windows 2000, XP, and Server 2003, or C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu on Windows Vista and 7.)
Autostart Technique
This spyware adds the following registry entries to enable its automatic execution at every system startup:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
KCI Start = "%User Profile%\KCI\KCI.exe"
Other System Modifications
This spyware deletes the following files:
- %User Temp%\nsq4.tmp
- %User Temp%\nsf6.tmp
- %User Temp%\nsf6.tmp\ns18.tmp
- %User Temp%\nsf6.tmp\ns1D.tmp
- %User Temp%\nsf6.tmp\ns22.tmp
- 1.dat
- 2.dat
- 3.dat
- %User Temp%\nsf6.tmp\ns2A.tmp
- 4.dat
- data
- lzma.exe
(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, XP, and Server 2003, or C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Local\Temp on Windows Vista and 7.)
It adds the following registry keys:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\
?rd?m?x Keylogger 4.1.1
It adds the following registry entries:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\
?rd?m?x Keylogger 4.1.1
DisplayName = "?rd?m?x Keylogger 4.1.1"
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\
?rd?m?x Keylogger 4.1.1
UninstallString = "%User Profile%\KCI\Uninstall.exe"
Dropping Routine
This spyware drops the following files:
- %User Temp%\nsf6.tmp\UAC.dll
- %User Temp%\nsf6.tmp\DcryptDll.dll
- %User Temp%\nsf6.tmp\CallAnsiPlugin.dll
- %User Temp%\nsf6.tmp\System.dll
- %User Temp%\nsf6.tmp\modern-header.bmp
- %User Temp%\nsf6.tmp\modern-wizard.bmp
- %User Temp%\nsf6.tmp\AccessControl.dll
- %User Profile%\KCI\lzma.exe
- %User Profile%\KCI\data
- %User Profile%\KCI\1.dat
- %User Profile%\KCI\2.dat
- %User Profile%\KCI\3.dat
- 1.lz
- %User Temp%\nsf6.tmp\nsExec.dll
- 2.lz
- 3.lz
- %Start Menu%\Programs\?rd?m?x Keylogger 4.1\?rd?m?x Keylogger 4.1.lnk
- %User Profile%\KCI\4.dat
- 4.lz
- %Start Menu%\Programs\?rd?m?x Keylogger 4.1\Log Viewer.lnk
- %User Profile%\KCI\Uninstall.exe
- %User Temp%\nsf6.tmp\nsDialogs.dll
- KCI.exe
- KCI.01
- KCI.02
- Viewer.exe
- %Start Menu%\Programs\?rd?m?x Keylogger 4.1.1\?rd?m?x Keylogger 4.1.1.lnk
- %Start Menu%\Programs\?rd?m?x Keylogger 4.1.1\Log Viewer.lnk
- %User Profile%\KCI\KCI.002
- %User Profile%\KCI\KCI.004
- %User Temp%\nsf6.tmp\ns18.tmp
- %User Temp%\nsf6.tmp\ns1D.tmp
- %User Temp%\nsf6.tmp\ns22.tmp
- %User Temp%\nsf6.tmp\ns2A.tmp
(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, XP, and Server 2003, or C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Local\Temp on Windows Vista and 7.. %User Profile% is the current user's profile folder, which is usually C:\Documents and Settings\{user name} on Windows 2000, XP, and Server 2003, or C:\Users\{user name} on Windows Vista and 7.. %Start Menu% is the current user's Start Menu folder, which is usually C:\Windows\Start Menu or C:\Documents and Settings\{User name}\Start Menu on Windows 2000, XP, and Server 2003, or C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu on Windows Vista and 7.)
This report is generated via an automated analysis system.
SOLUTION
9.300
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
Restart in Safe Mode
Step 3
Delete this registry key
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\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall
- ?rd?m?x Keylogger 4.1.1
Step 4
Delete this registry value
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\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
- KCI Start = "%User Profile%\KCI\KCI.exe"
- In HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\?rd?m?x Keylogger 4.1.1
- DisplayName = "?rd?m?x Keylogger 4.1.1"
- In HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\?rd?m?x Keylogger 4.1.1
- UninstallString = "%User Profile%\KCI\Uninstall.exe"
Step 5
Search and delete these components
- %User Temp%\nsf6.tmp\UAC.dll
- %User Temp%\nsf6.tmp\DcryptDll.dll
- %User Temp%\nsf6.tmp\CallAnsiPlugin.dll
- %User Temp%\nsf6.tmp\System.dll
- %User Temp%\nsf6.tmp\modern-header.bmp
- %User Temp%\nsf6.tmp\modern-wizard.bmp
- %User Temp%\nsf6.tmp\AccessControl.dll
- %User Profile%\KCI\lzma.exe
- %User Profile%\KCI\data
- %User Profile%\KCI\1.dat
- %User Profile%\KCI\2.dat
- %User Profile%\KCI\3.dat
- 1.lz
- %User Temp%\nsf6.tmp\nsExec.dll
- 2.lz
- 3.lz
- %Start Menu%\Programs\?rd?m?x Keylogger 4.1\?rd?m?x Keylogger 4.1.lnk
- %User Profile%\KCI\4.dat
- 4.lz
- %Start Menu%\Programs\?rd?m?x Keylogger 4.1\Log Viewer.lnk
- %User Profile%\KCI\Uninstall.exe
- %User Temp%\nsf6.tmp\nsDialogs.dll
- KCI.exe
- KCI.01
- KCI.02
- Viewer.exe
- %Start Menu%\Programs\?rd?m?x Keylogger 4.1.1\?rd?m?x Keylogger 4.1.1.lnk
- %Start Menu%\Programs\?rd?m?x Keylogger 4.1.1\Log Viewer.lnk
- %User Profile%\KCI\KCI.002
- %User Profile%\KCI\KCI.004
- %User Temp%\nsf6.tmp\ns18.tmp
- %User Temp%\nsf6.tmp\ns1D.tmp
- %User Temp%\nsf6.tmp\ns22.tmp
- %User Temp%\nsf6.tmp\ns2A.tmp
Step 6
Search and delete these folders
- %System Root%\DOCUME~1
- %System Root%\DOCUME~1\Wilbert
- %User Profile%\LOCALS~1
- %User Temp%\nsf6.tmp
- %User Profile%\Application Data\KCI
- %Start Menu%\Programs\?rd?m?x Keylogger 4.1
- %Start Menu%\Programs\?rd?m?x Keylogger 4.1.1
Step 7
Restart in normal mode and scan your computer with your Trend Micro product for files detected as SPYW_ARDAMAX. 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 8
Restore this file from backup only Microsoft-related files will be restored. If this malware/grayware also deleted files related to programs that are not from Microsoft, please reinstall those programs on you computer again.
- %User Temp%\nsq4.tmp
- %User Temp%\nsf6.tmp
- %User Temp%\nsf6.tmp\ns18.tmp
- %User Temp%\nsf6.tmp\ns1D.tmp
- %User Temp%\nsf6.tmp\ns22.tmp
- 1.dat
- 2.dat
- 3.dat
- %User Temp%\nsf6.tmp\ns2A.tmp
- 4.dat
- data
- lzma.exe
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