Analysis by: Erika Bianca Mendoza
 Modified by: Cris Nowell Pantanilla
ALIASES:

Exploit:Win32/CVE-2011-2462.A (Microsoft); Exploit-CVE2011-2462 (Mcafee)

 PLATFORM:

Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003

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

  • Threat Type: Trojan

  • Destructiveness: No

  • Encrypted: No

  • In the wild: Yes

  OVERVIEW

This Trojan arrives as an attachment to email messages spammed by other malware/grayware or malicious users.

It executes the dropped file(s). As a result, malicious routines of the dropped files are exhibited on the affected system.

  TECHNICAL DETAILS

File Size: 493,680 bytes
File Type: PDF
Initial Samples Received Date: 16 Dec 2011

Arrival Details

This Trojan arrives as an attachment to email messages spammed by other malware/grayware or malicious users.

Installation

This Trojan drops the following non-malicious file:

  • %User Temp%\Adobe.pdf

(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:

  • %Application Data%\GoogleUpdate.exe

(Note: %Application Data% is the current user's Application Data folder, which is usually C:\Windows\Profiles\{user name}\Application Data on Windows 98 and ME, C:\WINNT\Profiles\{user name}\Application Data on Windows NT, and C:\Documents and Settings\{user name}\Local Settings\Application Data on Windows 2000, XP, and Server 2003.)

It executes the dropped file(s). As a result, malicious routines of the dropped files are exhibited on the affected system.

NOTES:
This is the Trend Micro detection for a specially-crafted PDF that exploits a certain vulnerability in Adobe Reader and Acrobat. Once successful, it drops an embedded executable file. It then runs the malware and as a result, the malicious routines of the dropped file are also exhibited in the system. It also opens the non-malicious dropped PDF, %User Temp%\Adobe.pdf, to hide its malicious routines from the user.

  SOLUTION

Minimum Scan Engine: 9.200
FIRST VSAPI PATTERN FILE: 8.648.04
FIRST VSAPI PATTERN DATE: 16 Dec 2011
VSAPI OPR PATTERN File: 8.649.00
VSAPI OPR PATTERN Date: 17 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

Search and delete these files

[ 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%\Adobe.pdf
  • %Application Data%\GoogleUpdate.exe

Step 3

Scan your computer with your Trend Micro product to delete files detected as TROJ_PIDIEF.EGN. 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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