TSPY_ROVNIX.YPOB

This malware is the payload for the malvertising campaign that affected around 3,000 Japanese websites. The said attack uses Angler kit which leveraged vulnerabilities in Internet Explorer and Adobe Flash Player.

To get a one-glance comprehensive view of the behavior of this Spyware, refer to the Threat Diagram shown below.

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 modifies the Internet Explorer Zone Settings.

It executes the downloaded files. As a result, malicious routines of the downloaded files are exhibited on the affected system.

It deletes the initially executed copy of itself.

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 a copy of itself in the following folders using different file names:

• "%Application Data%\BackUp{Volume ID}.exe"

(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.)

It drops the following file(s)/component(s):

• "%User Temp%\NTFS.sys"
• "%User Temp%\tmp{3 Random Numbers}.tmp.exe"
• "%System%\BOOT.dat"

(Note: %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.. %System% is the Windows system folder, where it usually is C:\Windows\System32 on all Windows operating system versions.)

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

• "Global\INSNTFS{Volume ID}"
• "Global\UACNTFS{Volume ID}"
• "Global\BDNTFS{Volume ID}"

Autostart Technique

This spyware adds and runs the following services:

• %User Temp%\NTFS.sys
  Service Name: "BS{Volume ID}"

(Note: %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.)

It modifies the following registry entries to ensure it automatic execution at every system startup:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
BackUp{Volume ID} = "%Application Data%\BackUp2326257383.exe"

Other System Modifications

This spyware adds the following registry entries:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Sysinternals\
C
EulaAccepted = 1

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Installer\Products\B2326257383
LP = "%User temp%\L2326257383"

HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\
Sysinternals\C
EulaAccepted = 1

It modifies the following registry keys:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
RSA{Volume ID} = "%System%\rundll32.exe "%Application Data%\Microsoft\Crypto\RSA\RSA{Volume ID}.dll",DllInitialize

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
Disk Defragmenter = "%System%\rundll32.exe "%Application Data%\defragsvc.dll",DllInitialize"

Process Termination

This spyware terminates the following processes if found running in the affected system's memory:

• iexplore.exe

Web Browser Home Page and Search Page Modification

This spyware modifies the Internet Explorer Zone Settings.

Download Routine

This spyware accesses the following websites to download files:

• http://{BLOCKED}ebabanahujtr.org/53648768.zip

It saves the files it downloads using the following names:

• "%Application Data%\Microsoft\Crypto\RSA\RSA{Volume ID}.dll"
• "%Application Data%\defragsvc.dll"

(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.)

Trend Micro detects the dowloaded file as:

• TROJ_ROVNIX.YPOD

It then executes the downloaded files. As a result, malicious routines of the downloaded files are exhibited on the affected system.

Information Theft

This spyware gathers the following data:

• Information on the Volume Protection/Encryption:
  • Bitlocker
  • TrueCrypt
  • VeraCrypt
• Windows Version
• SID Sub Authority and its Count
• User Account and SIDs
• NTFS Information
• Native System Information
• Product Information
• OS Architecture (x86/x64)
• Volume Information
• List of Running Process
• File Version Info of Processes Listed
• File Description of Processes Listed
• Company Name of Processes Listed
• Product Version of Processes Listed
• Product Name of Processes Listed
• File Time of "%System%\win32k.sys"
• Information on AV Related Process Running with the following Strings
  • "agnitum"
  • "alwilsoftware"
  • "pctools"
  • "grisoft"
  • "aviragmbh"
  • "aviraproduct"
  • "avirafreeantivirus"
  • "bitdefender"
  • "avginternetsecurity"
  • "comodo"
  • "doctorweb"
  • "eset,spol"
  • "esetsmart"
  • "frisksoftware"
  • "kaspersky"
  • "pandasoftware"
  • "symanteccorporation"
  • "checkpointsoftware"
  • "microsoftsecurity"
  • "microsoftmalware"
  • "mcafee"
  • "bullguard"
  • "novashieldinc"
  • "cjscreturnilsoftware"
  • "sophosplc"
  • "quickhealtechnologies"
  • "gdatasoftware"
  • "beijingrising"
  • "immunetcorporation"
  • "k7computing"
  • "sunbeltsoftware"
  • "beijingjiangmin"
  • "usbdisksecurity"
  • "deepfreeze"
  • "virus"
  • "malware"
  • "rootkit"
  • "rapport"
• Logs of its successful routines
• PID of process running the malware (Child and/or Parent)
• Current Directory of the Malware

(Note: %System% is the Windows system folder, where it usually is C:\Windows\System32 on all Windows operating system versions.)

Stolen Information

This spyware saves the stolen information in the following file:

• "%User Temp%\L(Volume ID)"
• "%User Temp%\tmp{4 alphanumeric characters}.tmp"

(Note: %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.)

It sends the gathered information via HTTP POST to the following URL:

• http://{BLOCKED}ebabanahujtr.org/cgi-bin/150915/post.cgi

Other Details

This spyware checks for the presence of the following process(es):

• explorer.exe

It does the following:

• It modifies the NTFS boot sector to load its encrypted code
• Terminates itself if Hard Disk is Protected and/or Encrypted by any of the following:
  • BitLocker
  • VeraCrypt
  • TrueCrypt
• Can Log off Current User
• Deletes the files inside %User Temp% folder
• Terminates itself if the malware name and/or path has the following substrings:
  • samp
  • smpl
  • vir
  • malw
  • test
  • troj

(Note: %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.)

It deletes the initially executed copy of itself

It terminates itself if any of the following user name(s) are found in the affected system:

• luser
• perl
• python
• trace
• dump

NOTES: