ADWARE.WIN32.WOWSEARCH.GA

This Adware arrives on a system as a file dropped by other malware or as a file downloaded unknowingly by users when visiting malicious sites. It may be manually installed by a user.

Arrival Details

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

It may be manually installed by a user.

Installation

This Adware drops the following files:

• %User Temp%\nsvED9.tmp
• %User Temp%\nsuF0D.tmp
• %User Temp%\nsuF0D.tmp\UAC.dll
• %User Temp%\nsuF0D.tmp\version.dll
• %Program Files%\wow search\icons\install.ico
• %Program Files%\wow search\icons\wow_ico.ico
• %User Temp%\nsuF0D.tmp\nsProcess.dll
• %User Temp%\nsuF0D.tmp\System.dll

(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, 7, and 8.. %Program Files% is the default Program Files folder, usually C:\Program Files in Windows 2000, Server 2003, and XP (32-bit), Vista (32-bit), 7 (32-bit), and 8 (32-bit), or C:\Program Files (x86) in Windows XP (64-bit), Vista (64-bit), 7 (64-bit), and 8 (64-bit).)

It creates the following folders:

• %User Temp%\nsuF0D.tmp
• %Program Files%\wow search
• %Program Files%\wow search\icons

(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, 7, and 8.. %Program Files% is the default Program Files folder, usually C:\Program Files in Windows 2000, Server 2003, and XP (32-bit), Vista (32-bit), 7 (32-bit), and 8 (32-bit), or C:\Program Files (x86) in Windows XP (64-bit), Vista (64-bit), 7 (64-bit), and 8 (64-bit).)

Other System Modifications

This Adware adds the following registry entries as part of its installation routine:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\wow search
se_guid = {Random Characters}

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Internet Explorer\SearchScopes\{Random Characters}
DisplayName = "wow search"

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Internet Explorer\SearchScopes\{Random Characters}
FaviconURL = http://{BLOCKED}s.{BLOCKED}p.it/p/97238/wow_ico.png

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Internet Explorer\SearchScopes\{Random Characters}
URL = http://{BLOCKED}w.{BLOCKED}p.it/?q={searchTerms}

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Internet Explorer\SearchScopes
DefaultScope = {Random Characters}

HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\
Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchScopes\
{Random Characters}
DisplayName = wow search

HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\
Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchScopes\
{Random Characters}
FaviconPath = %Program Files%\wow search\icons\{BLOCKED}w_{BLOCKED}o.ico

HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\
Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchScopes\
{Random Characters}
FaviconURL = http://{BLOCKED}s.{BLOCKED}p.it/p/97238/wow_ico.png

HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\
Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchScopes\
{Random Characters}
URL = http://{BLOCKED}w.{BLOCKED}p.it/?q={searchTerms}

HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\
Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchScopes
DefaultScope = {Random Characters}

HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-19\Software\
Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchScopes\
{Random Characters}
DisplayName = wow search

HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-19\Software\
Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchScopes\
{Random Characters}
FaviconPath = %Program Files%\wow search\icons\{BLOCKED}w_{BLOCKED}o.ico

HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-19\Software\
Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchScopes\
{Random Characters}
FaviconURL = http://{BLOCKED}s.{BLOCKED}p.it/p/97238/wow_ico.png

HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-19\Software\
Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchScopes\
{Random Characters}
URL = http://{BLOCKED}w.{BLOCKED}p.it/?q={searchTerms}

HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-19\Software\
Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchScopes
DefaultScope = {Random Characters}

HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-20\Software\
Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchScopes\
{Random Characters}
DisplayName = wow search

HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-20\Software\
Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchScopes\
{Random Characters}
FaviconPath = %Program Files%\wow search\icons\{BLOCKED}w_{BLOCKED}o.ico

HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-20\Software\
Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchScopes
DefaultScope = {Random Characters}

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Internet Explorer\SearchScopes\{Random Characters}
DisplayName = wow search

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Internet Explorer\SearchScopes\{Random Characters}
FaviconPath = %Program Files%\wow search\icons\{BLOCKED}w_{BLOCKED}o.ico

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Internet Explorer\SearchScopes\{Random Characters}
FaviconURL = http://{BLOCKED}s.{BLOCKED}p.it/p/97238/wow_ico.png

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Internet Explorer\SearchScopes\{Random Characters}
URL = http://{BLOCKED}w.{BLOCKED}p.it/?q={searchTerms}

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Internet Explorer\SearchScopes
DefaultScope = {Random Characters}

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\
Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\
SearchScopes\{Random Characters}
DisplayName = wow search

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\
Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\
SearchScopes\{Random Characters}
FaviconPath = %Program Files%\wow search\icons\{BLOCKED}w_{BLOCKED}o.ico

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\
Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\
SearchScopes\{Random Characters}
FaviconURL = http://{BLOCKED}s.{BLOCKED}p.it/p/97238/wow_ico.png

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\
Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\
SearchScopes\{Random Characters}
URL = http://{BLOCKED}w.{BLOCKED}p.it/?q={searchTerms}

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\
Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\
SearchScopes
DefaultScope = {Random Characters}

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\SecurityUpdatesService
search_version = {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.11