BKDR_CYCBOT.SMIB

This malware acts as a proxy server to intercept requests of Internet browsers and point them to the proxy server on port 64323.

It monitors Internet browser's activity to check for certain strings related to popular websites such as search engines and social networking sites to intercept information.

It monitors the address bar of Web browsers and redirects to other pages if the address contains certain strings.

This backdoor may be downloaded by other malware/grayware/spyware from remote sites. It may be dropped by other malware. It may be unknowingly downloaded by a user while visiting malicious websites.

Arrival Details

This backdoor may be downloaded by other malware/grayware/spyware from remote sites.

It may be dropped by other malware.

It may be unknowingly downloaded by a user while visiting malicious websites.

Installation

This backdoor drops the following copies of itself into the affected system:

• %User Temp%\csrss.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 mutexes to ensure that only one of its copies runs at any one time:

• {A5B35993-9674-43cd-8AC7-5BC5013E617B}
• {35BCA615-C82A-4152-8857-BCC626AE4C8D}
• {C0429A47-0CF0-4d1b-9616-C588FA0A3DDB}
• {43B671F0-5D50-4dbe-AD9C-64A6167C57AD}
• {6B985724-623F-492e-B0D6-C9715ADE853B}
• {B37C48AF-B05C-4520-8B38-2FE181D5DC78}
• {95F6585C-CC1E-4b52-A63B-9FBC6A94F371}

Autostart Technique

This backdoor adds the following registry entries to enable its automatic execution at every system startup:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon
Shell = explorer.exe,%Application Data%\dwm.exe

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
conhost = %Application Data%\Microsoft\conhost.exe

Other System Modifications

This backdoor adds the following registry entries:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings
ProxyServer = http=127.0.0.1:64323

It modifies the following registry entries:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\
Hardware Profiles\0001\Software\
Microsoft\windows\CurrentVersion\
Internet Settings
ProxyEnable = "1"

(Note: The default value data of the said registry entry is 0.)

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\
Hardware Profiles\Current\Software\
Microsoft\windows\CurrentVersion\
Internet Settings
ProxyEnable = "1"

(Note: The default value data of the said registry entry is 0.)

HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG\Software\Microsoft\
windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings
ProxyEnable = "1"

(Note: The default value data of the said registry entry is 0.)

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Windows Defender
DisableAntiSpyware = "1"

(Note: The default value data of the said registry entry is 0.)

Backdoor Routine

This backdoor connects to the following URL(s) to send and receive commands from a remote malicious user:

• http://{BLOCKED}linecatalog.com
• http://{BLOCKED}pmusiconline.com
• http://{BLOCKED}temilkandtee.com
• http://{BLOCKED}eeddbsearch.com
• http://{BLOCKED}gsourcecodes.com
• http://{BLOCKED}gamesonlines.com
• http://{BLOCKED}backuostore4you.com
• http://{BLOCKED}eyescat.com
• http://{BLOCKED}skopia.com
• http://{BLOCKED}oisdb.com
• http://{BLOCKED}grammingshool.com
• http://{BLOCKED}cureonline.com
• http://{BLOCKED}aclubonline.com
• http://{BLOCKED}ioz.com

Process Termination

This backdoor terminates processes or services that contain any of the following strings if found running in the affected system's memory:

• avgnt.exe
• Avira*
• ccsvchst.exe
• Norton*
• Symantec*
• AvastUI.exe
• Alwil Software*
• Avast*
• mcagent.exe
• McAfee*
• avira
• norton
• avast
• mcafee
• bitdef
• kasper
• drweb
• nod32

Dropping Routine

This backdoor drops the following files wherein it saves the information it gathers:

• %Application Data%\9EAE.6BA

(Note: %Application Data% is the current user's Application Data folder, which is usually C:\Documents and Settings\{user name}\Application Data on Windows 2000, XP, and Server 2003, or C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Roaming on Windows Vista and 7.)

Download Routine

This backdoor connects to the following website(s) to download and execute a malicious file:

• http://{BLOCKED}rom.at/polytheism/pictures/TanzenderShiva.jpg
• http://{BLOCKED}eafdesign.com/blog/images/share/stumble.png
• http://{BLOCKED}eafdesign.com/blog/images/share/facebook.png
• http://{BLOCKED}twaredevelopment.com/WindowsLiveWriter/web-2_0_thumb_1.gif
• http://{BLOCKED}tar.com/avatar.php?gravatar_id=f2a3889aff6fc9711a3cbcfe64067be1
• http://{BLOCKED}tar.com/avatar.php?gravatar_id=f2a3889aff6fc9711a3cbcfe64067be2
• http://{BLOCKED}ho.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/web-20-what-is-300x251.jpg
• http://{BLOCKED}fk.com/img/icons/twitter.png
• http://{BLOCKED}fk.com/img/icons/facebook.png
• http://{BLOCKED}ylifenow.com/templates/7348/images/header_logo.jpg
• http://{BLOCKED}ylifenow.com/templates/7349/images/header_logo.jpg
• http://{BLOCKED}ndandbarrett.com/images/footer/account.jpg
• http://{BLOCKED}dandbarrett.com/images/footer/account.gif
• http://{BLOCKED}sautoelectric.com/images/50-217-1_F_1_.jpg
• http://{BLOCKED}autoelectric.com/images/50-217-1_F_2_.jpg
• http://{BLOCKED}zdirectory.com/images/PowerShowBanner.gif
• http://{BLOCKED}zdirectory.com/images/PowerHideBanner.gif
• http://{BLOCKED}paganda.net/blog/pics/3321.jpg
• http://{BLOCKED}paganda.net/blog/pics/3322.jpg
• http://{BLOCKED}segreenteaonline.com/assets/images/greentea-cha-1.gif
• http://{BLOCKED}segreenteaonline.com/assets/images/greentea-cha-2.gif
• http://{BLOCKED}rbalteaonline.com/images/greenherbalteagirlholdingcup250.gif
• http://{BLOCKED}erbalteaonline.com/images/greenherbalteagirlholdingcup350.gif
• http://{BLOCKED}institute.com/g7/images/logo.jpg
• http://{BLOCKED}institute.com/g7/images/logo2.jpg
• http://{BLOCKED}institute.com/g7/images/logo3.jpg
• http://{BLOCKED}institute.com/g7/images/logo4.jpg
• http://{BLOCKED}datingsecretfriends.com/images/im133.jpg
• http://{BLOCKED}edatingsecretfriends.com/images/im134.jpg
• http://{BLOCKED}ats.com/images/logo.png

It saves the files it downloads using the following names:

• %Application Data%\Microsoft\conhost.exe
• %Application Data%\dwm.exe
• %User Temp%\2.exe

(Note: %Application Data% is the current user's Application Data folder, which is usually C:\Documents and Settings\{user name}\Application Data on Windows 2000, XP, and Server 2003, or C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Roaming 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.)

Trend Micro detects the dowloaded file as:

• BKDR_CYCBOT.SMIB

NOTES:

This malware acts as a proxy server to intercept requests of Internet browsers and point them to the proxy server on port 64323.

It monitors Internet browser's activity to check for the following strings related to popular websites such as search engines and social networking sites to intercept information:

• .2mdn.
• .abmr.
• .adtechus.
• .aol.
• .atdmt.
• .atwola.
• .autodatadirect.
• .bing.net
• .dartsearch.
• .doubleclick.
• .ggpht.
• .google
• .ivwbox.
• .mapquestapi.
• .microsoft.
• .opera.
• .tacoda.
• .thawte.
• .tlowdb.
• .truveo.
• .virtualearth.
• .wsod.
• .yimg.com
• .ypcdn.
• amazon.
• aol/search
• aolcdn.
• aolsvc.
• bing.com
• bing.com/search
• blogger
• brightcove.com
• doubleclick.
• ebay.
• facebook.
• flickr
• google-analytics.
• google.
• googlesyndication.
• googleusercontent.
• gstatic.
• imdb.
• mapq.st
• scorecardresearch.com
• search.aol.
• search.yahoo.com/search
• searcht2.aol.
• suche.aol.
• twitter.
• wikimedia.
• wikipedia.
• yahoo.
• yahoo.com
• youtube.
• ytimg.
• /complete/search
• /gen_204
• /images
• /imglanding
• ?query=
• &query=

It monitors the address bar of Web browsers and redirects to other pages if the address contains any of the following strings:

• Avast
• Avira
• Dr.Web
• Kaspersky
• McAfee
• ESET NOD32
• Norton
• BitDefender