Analysis by: Christopher Daniel So
ALIASES:

Exploit:Win32/CVE-2010-3333 (Microsoft), Trojan.Mdropper.C (Symantec), Exploit-CVE2010-3333 (McAfee)

 PLATFORM:

Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003

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

  • Threat Type: Trojan

  • Destructiveness: No

  • Encrypted: Yes

  • In the wild: Yes

  OVERVIEW

This Trojan arrives as attachment to mass-mailed email messages. It 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

File Size: 167,148 bytes
File Type: RTF
Initial Samples Received Date: 19 Dec 2011

Arrival Details

This Trojan arrives as attachment to mass-mailed email messages.

It 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 Trojan drops the following non-malicious file:

  • %User Temp%\{malware file and extension name}

(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.)

Dropping Routine

This Trojan drops the following files:

  • %User Temp%\svchost.exe - detected by Trend Micro as BKDR_PCCLIEN.BQD

(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.)

It takes advantage of the following software vulnerabilities to drop malicious files:

Other Details

More information on this vulnerability can be found below:

NOTES:
It opens the file %User Temp%\{malware file and extension name} in Microsoft Word to hide its malicious routines from the user.

  SOLUTION

Minimum Scan Engine: 9.200
FIRST VSAPI PATTERN FILE: 8.654.10
FIRST VSAPI PATTERN DATE: 20 Dec 2011
VSAPI OPR PATTERN File: 8.655.00
VSAPI OPR PATTERN Date: 20 Dec 2011

Step 1

For Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 users, before doing any scans, please make sure you disable System Restore to allow full scanning of your computer.

Step 2

Remove malware files dropped/downloaded by TROJ_ARTIEF.AEB

Step 3

Search and delete this file

[ Learn More ]
There may be some component 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.
  • %User Temp%\{malware file and extension name}

Step 4

Scan your computer with your Trend Micro product to delete files detected as TROJ_ARTIEF.AEB. 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 5

Download and apply this security patch Refrain from using these products until the appropriate patches have been installed. Trend Micro advises users to download critical patches upon release by vendors.


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