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PUA.Win32.PCGoldOptimizer.A

June 07, 2020
 PLATFORM:

Windows

 OVERALL RISK RATING:
 REPORTED INFECTION:
 SYSTEM IMPACT RATING:
 INFORMATION EXPOSURE:

  • Threat Type: Potentially Unwanted Application

  • Destructiveness: No

  • Encrypted:

  • In the wild: Yes

  OVERVIEW


This Potentially Unwanted Application arrives on a system as a file dropped by other malware or as a file downloaded unknowingly by users when visiting malicious sites.

  TECHNICAL DETAILS

File Size:

5,171,741 bytes

File Type:

EXE

Memory Resident:

Yes

Initial Samples Received Date:

07 Jun 2020

Arrival Details

This Potentially Unwanted Application 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 Potentially Unwanted Application adds the following processes:

  • MSIEXEC.EXE /i "%AppDataLocal%\Downloaded Installations\{7770AC45-2516-4FCD-B862-3C1F9B871919}\PC Gold.msi" SETUPEXEDIR="%User Temp%" SETUPEXENAME="{malware file name}.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(32-bit), XP, and Server 2003(32-bit), or C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Local\Temp on Windows Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, 2008(64-bit), 2012(64-bit) and 10(64-bit).)

It creates the following folders:

  • %AppDataLocal%\Downloaded Installations\{7770AC45-2516-4FCD-B862-3C1F9B871919}
  • %AppDataLocal%\Downloaded Installations
  • %User Temp%\{5867F8ED-C7D6-4B19-BBC4-6DF54AE8A462}

(Note: %AppDataLocal% is the Local Application Data folder, which is usually C:\Documents and Settings\{user name}\Local Settings\Application Data on Windows 2000(32-bit), XP, and Server 2003(32-bit), or C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Local on Windows Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, 2008(64-bit), 2012(64-bit) and 10(64-bit).. %User Temp% is the current user's Temp folder, which is usually C:\Documents and Settings\{user name}\Local Settings\Temp on Windows 2000(32-bit), XP, and Server 2003(32-bit), or C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Local\Temp on Windows Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, 2008(64-bit), 2012(64-bit) and 10(64-bit).)

Other System Modifications

This Potentially Unwanted Application deletes the following registry keys:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\%IS_PREREQ%-PC Gold

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\%IS_PREREQF%-PC Gold

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce\
ISSetupPrerequisistes

Dropping Routine

This Potentially Unwanted Application drops the following files:

  • %AppDataLocal%\Downloaded Installations\{7770AC45-2516-4FCD-B862-3C1F9B871919}\PC Gold.msi
  • %User Temp%\{5867F8ED-C7D6-4B19-BBC4-6DF54AE8A462}\Setup.INI
  • %User Temp%\{5867F8ED-C7D6-4B19-BBC4-6DF54AE8A462}\PC Gold.msi
  • %User Temp%\{5867F8ED-C7D6-4B19-BBC4-6DF54AE8A462}\_ISMSIDEL.INI
  • %User Temp%\_MSI5166._IS
  • %User Temp%\{5867F8ED-C7D6-4B19-BBC4-6DF54AE8A462}\Microsoft .NET Framework 4.5 Web.prq
  • %User Temp%\{5867F8ED-C7D6-4B19-BBC4-6DF54AE8A462}\0x0409.ini

(Note: %AppDataLocal% is the Local Application Data folder, which is usually C:\Documents and Settings\{user name}\Local Settings\Application Data on Windows 2000(32-bit), XP, and Server 2003(32-bit), or C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Local on Windows Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, 2008(64-bit), 2012(64-bit) and 10(64-bit).. %User Temp% is the current user's Temp folder, which is usually C:\Documents and Settings\{user name}\Local Settings\Temp on Windows 2000(32-bit), XP, and Server 2003(32-bit), or C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Local\Temp on Windows Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, 2008(64-bit), 2012(64-bit) and 10(64-bit).)

This report is generated via an automated analysis system.

  SOLUTION

Minimum Scan Engine:

9.850

Step 1

Before doing any scans, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, and Windows 10 users must disable System Restore to allow full scanning of their computers.

Step 2

Identify and terminate files detected as PUA.Win32.PCGoldOptimizer.A

[ 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

Search and delete these components

[ Learn More ]
There may be some components 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.
  • %AppDataLocal%\Downloaded Installations\{7770AC45-2516-4FCD-B862-3C1F9B871919}\PC Gold.msi
  • %User Temp%\{5867F8ED-C7D6-4B19-BBC4-6DF54AE8A462}\Setup.INI
  • %User Temp%\{5867F8ED-C7D6-4B19-BBC4-6DF54AE8A462}\PC Gold.msi
  • %User Temp%\{5867F8ED-C7D6-4B19-BBC4-6DF54AE8A462}\_ISMSIDEL.INI
  • %User Temp%\_MSI5166._IS
  • %User Temp%\{5867F8ED-C7D6-4B19-BBC4-6DF54AE8A462}\Microsoft .NET Framework 4.5 Web.prq
  • %User Temp%\{5867F8ED-C7D6-4B19-BBC4-6DF54AE8A462}\0x0409.ini

Step 4

Search and delete these folders

[ Learn More ]
Please make sure you check the Search Hidden Files and Folders checkbox in the More advanced options option to include all hidden folders in the search result.
  • %AppDataLocal%\Downloaded Installations\{7770AC45-2516-4FCD-B862-3C1F9B871919}
  • %AppDataLocal%\Downloaded Installations
  • %User Temp%\{5867F8ED-C7D6-4B19-BBC4-6DF54AE8A462}

Step 5

Scan your computer with your Trend Micro product to delete files detected as PUA.Win32.PCGoldOptimizer.A. 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 the following Trend Micro Support pages for more information:

Step 6

Restore these deleted registry keys/values from backup

*Note: Only Microsoft-related keys/values will be restored. If the malware/grayware also deleted registry keys/values related to programs that are not from Microsoft, please reinstall those programs on your computer.

  • In HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion
    • %IS_PREREQ%-PC Gold
  • In HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion
    • %IS_PREREQF%-PC Gold
  • In HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
    • ISSetupPrerequisistes


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