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PUA_STARTPAGE

September 23, 2016
 Analysis by: Cris Nowell Pantanilla
 ALIASES:

not-a-virus:AdWare.NSIS.Agent.el (Kaspersky), Win32/StartPage.AKD (ESET-NOD32)

 PLATFORM:

Windows

 OVERALL RISK RATING:
 REPORTED INFECTION:

  • Threat Type: Potentially Unwanted Application

  • Destructiveness: No

  • Encrypted: No

  • In the wild: Yes

  OVERVIEW

Infection Channel:

Downloaded from the Internet

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:

66,468 bytes

File Type:

EXE

Memory Resident:

No

Initial Samples Received Date:

22 Sep 2016

Payload:

Connects to URLs/IPs

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 drops the following files:

  • %Application Data%\hao123\hao123.ico
  • %Application Data%\hao123\hao123网址导航.exe
  • %Application Data%\hao123\{93CA8530-806A-85C3-5815-9B5B83AF8ADZ}.exe
  • %User Profile%\Desktop\hao123网址导航.lnk
  • %User Profile%\Start Menu\Programs\hao123网址导航\hao123网址导航.lnk

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

It adds the following processes:

  • iexplore.exe

It creates the following folders:

  • %User Profile%\Start Menu\Programs\hao123网址导航
  • %Application Data%\hao123

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

Other Details

This potentially unwanted application connects to the following possibly malicious URL:

  • http://jj.{BLOCKED}8000.com/?s
  • http://www.{BLOCKED}44.com/
  • http://www.hao123.com

  SOLUTION

Minimum Scan Engine:

9.800

SSAPI PATTERN File:

1.770.08

SSAPI PATTERN Date:

22 Sep 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

Close all opened browser windows

Step 3

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. %Application Data%\hao123
%User Profile%\Start Menu\Programs\hao123网址导航

Step 4

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