TSPY_GOLROTED.ADT

February 08, 2016
 Analysis by: Janus Agcaoili
 ALIASES:

W32.Golroted (Symantec),

 PLATFORM:

Windows

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

  • Threat Type: Spyware

  • Destructiveness: No

  • Encrypted: Yes

  • In the wild: Yes

  OVERVIEW

Infection Channel:

Downloaded from the Internet, Dropped by other malware

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.

It does not have any propagation routine.

It does not have any backdoor routine.

  TECHNICAL DETAILS

File Size:

2,051,072 bytes

File Type:

EXE

Memory Resident:

Yes

Initial Samples Received Date:

22 Jan 2016

Payload:

Connects to URLs/IPs, Steals information

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 drops the following non-malicious files:

  • %Application Data%\pidloc.txt → contains full name and path of malware process
  • %User Temp%\holdermail.txt
  • %Application Data%\pid.txt → contains the process id of the malware process
  • %User Temp%\Login Data <- deleted afterwards

(Note: %Application Data% is the Application Data folder, where it usually is C:\Documents and Settings\{user name}\Application Data on Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003, and Windows XP (32- and 64-bit); C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Roaming on Windows Vista (32- and 64-bit), Windows 7 (32- and 64-bit), Windows 8 (32- and 64-bit), Windows 8.1 (32- and 64-bit), Windows Server 2008, and Windows Server 2012.. %User Temp% is the user's temporary folder, where it usually is C:\Documents and Settings\{user name}\Local Settings\Temp on Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003, and Windows XP (32- and 64-bit); C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Local\Temp on Windows Vista (32- and 64-bit), Windows 7 (32- and 64-bit), Windows 8 (32- and 64-bit), Windows 8.1 (32- and 64-bit), Windows Server 2008, and Windows Server 2012.)

Other System Modifications

This spyware modifies the following registry entries:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\
Advanced
Hidden = "1"

(Note: The default value data of the said registry entry is {User preference}.)

Propagation

This spyware does not have any propagation routine.

Backdoor Routine

This spyware does not have any backdoor routine.

Information Theft

This spyware gathers the following data:

  • Computer name
  • Local Date and Time
  • Installed Language
  • .Net Version
  • Operating System Platform
  • Operating System Version
  • Internal IP Address
  • External Ip Address
  • Installed Antivirus
  • Installed Firewall
  • Key logs
  • Clipboard logs
  • Computer Screenshot
  • Account information from:
    • Bitcoin
    • Minecraft
    • Steam
    • RuneScape
    • Google Talk
    • Pidgin Messenger
    • Paltalk Messenger
    • Miranda Messenger
    • Windows Credential Manager

It attempts to steal stored email credentials from the following:

  • Mozilla Thunderbird
  • MS Outlook
  • Windows Live Mail
  • Yahoo! Mail
  • IncrediMail
  • Gmail
  • Google Desktop Search Mail
  • FoxMail

It attempts to get stored information such as user names, passwords, and hostnames from the following browsers:

  • Internet Explorer
  • Firefox
  • Google Chrome
  • Opera Browser
  • Apple Safari
  • SeaMonkey Browser
  • Flock Browser
  • Chrome SXS Browser
  • CoolNovo Browser
  • Comodo Dragon Browser

Stolen Information

This spyware sends the gathered information via HTTP POST to the following URL:

  • http://{BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.212.64/WebPanel/log.php

It sends the data it gathers to the following email addresses via SMTP:

  • {BLOCKED}s@alnasserstone.com

Other Details

This spyware connects to the following URL(s) to get the affected system's IP address:

  • http://whatismyipaddress.com/
  • http://dyn.com/dns/
  • https://www.noip.com/

  SOLUTION

Minimum Scan Engine:

9.800

FIRST VSAPI PATTERN DATE:

22 Jan 2016

VSAPI OPR PATTERN Date:

23 Jan 2016

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

Note that not all files, folders, and registry keys and entries are installed on your computer during this malware's/spyware's/grayware's execution. This may be due to incomplete installation or other operating system conditions. If you do not find the same files/folders/registry information, please proceed to the next step.

Step 3

Identify and terminate files detected as TSPY_GOLROTED.ADT

[ 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 4

Restore this modified registry value

[ Learn More ]

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_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced
    • From: Hidden = "1"
      To: Hidden = {User preference}

Step 5

Search and delete these files

[ Learn More ]
There may be some 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.
  • %Application Data%\pidloc.txt
  • %User Temp%\holdermail.txt
  • %Application Data%\pid.txt

Step 6

Scan your computer with your Trend Micro product to delete files detected as TSPY_GOLROTED.ADT. 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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