Modified by: Sabrina Lei Sioting
ALIASES:

Win32/Virut.H (AVG), W32/Virut.G (Fortinet), Virus.Win32.Virut (Ikarus), Virus.Win32.Virut.q (Kaspersky), Virus:Win32/Virut.L (Microsoft), W32/Virut.gen (McAfee), Win32/Virut.Q (Eset), W32.Virut.U (Symantec),

 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: File infector

  • Destructiveness: No

  • Encrypted: Yes

  • In the wild: Yes

  OVERVIEW

This file infector infects by appending its code to target host files.

  TECHNICAL DETAILS

File Size: 145,168 bytes
File Type: EXE
Memory Resident: Yes
Initial Samples Received Date: 08 Apr 2009

Installation

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

  • Vx_4

File Infection

This file infector infects the following file types:

  • .EXE
  • .SCR

It infects by appending its code to target host files.

It avoids infecting files that contain the following strings in their names:

  • WINC
  • WCUN
  • WC32
  • PSTO

Backdoor Routine

This file infector connects to any of the following IRC server(s):

  • proxim.{BLOCKED}axy.pl

Other Details

This file infector contains the following strings in its code:

  • O noon of life! O time to celebrate!
  • O summer garden!
  • Relentlessly happy and expectant, standing: -
  • Watching all day and night, for friends I wait:
  • Where are you, friends?
  • Come! It is time! It's late!

NOTES:

It hooks the following APIs so that when these APIs are called, the virus code is executed which then infects files:

  • NtCreateFile
  • NtCreateProcess
  • NtCreateProcessEx
  • NtOpenFile

It connects to the mentioned servers using 8-randomly generated character for its NICK. Once connected to the IRC server, it joins a certain channel to receive and execute commands on the affected system.

  SOLUTION

Minimum Scan Engine: 9.700
FIRST VSAPI PATTERN FILE: 5.883.00
FIRST VSAPI PATTERN DATE: 08 Apr 2009

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

Identify and terminate files detected as PE_VIRUT.XO-1

[ Learn More ]
  1. Windows Task Manager may not display all running processes. In this case, please use a third-party process viewer, preferably Process Explorer, to terminate the malware/grayware/spyware file. You may download the said tool here.
  2. If the detected file is displayed in either Windows Task Manager or Process Explorer but you cannot delete it, restart your computer in safe mode. To do this, refer to this link for the complete steps.
  3. If the detected file is not displayed in either Windows Task Manager or Process Explorer, continue doing the next steps.

Step 3

Scan your computer with your Trend Micro product to delete files detected as PE_VIRUT.XO-1. 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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