ADW_OKITSPACE.GB

This adware may be unknowingly downloaded by a user while visiting malicious websites. It may be manually installed by a user.

It does not have any propagation routine.

It does not have any backdoor routine.

It gathers certain information on the affected computer.

It connects to certain websites to send and receive information.

Arrival Details

This adware may be unknowingly downloaded by a user while visiting malicious websites.

It may be manually installed by a user.

Installation

This adware drops the following files:

• %Application Data%\BaseFlash\protect\ProtectExtension.exe - detected as ADW_OKITSPACE.GB
• %Application Data%\BaseFlash\protect\Interop.Shell32.dll
• %Application Data%\BaseFlash\protect\Newtonsoft.Json.dll
• %Application Data%\BaseFlash\protect\sqlite3.exe
• %Application Data%\BaseFlash\protect\utilsDll.dll
• %Application Data%\BaseFlash\protect\config.xml
• %Application Data%\BaseFlash\uninstallkit.exe
• %User Temp%\ns{random characters}.tmp\SimpleSC.dll - deleted afterwards
• %User Temp%\ns{random characters}.tmp\registry.dll - deleted afterwards
• %User Temp%\ns{random characters}.tmp\utils.dll - 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.)

It creates the following folders:

• %Application Data%\BaseFlash
• %Application Data%\BaseFlash\protect
• %User Temp%\ns{random value}.tmp - 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.)

Autostart Technique

This adware registers itself as a system service to ensure its automatic execution at every system startup by adding the following registry entries:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\
Services\srvProtectExtension
ImagePath = "%Application Data%\BaseFlash\protect\ProtectExtension.exe"

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\
Services\srvProtectExtension
DisplayName = "Protect your browser's extensions and plugins"

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\
Services\srvProtectExtension
Start = "2"

It registers as a system service to ensure its automatic execution at every system startup by adding the following registry keys:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\
Services\srvProtectExtension

Other System Modifications

This adware adds the following registry keys:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ProtectExtension

It adds the following registry entries:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ProtectExtension
flag = "{value}"

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ProtectExtension
uninstall_visible = "{value}"

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ProtectExtension
user_id = "{user id}"

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ProtectExtension
channel_id = "{id}"

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ProtectExtension
channel_subid = "{value}"

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ProtectExtension
channel_param = "{value}"

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ProtectExtension
installer_id = "{id}"

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ProtectExtension
installer_version = "{version}"

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ProtectExtension
InstallDay = "{System Date and Time}

Propagation

This adware does not have any propagation routine.

Backdoor Routine

This adware does not have any backdoor routine.

Download Routine

This adware downloads an updated copy of itself from the following website(s):

• http://update.{BLOCKED}ash.com/lastplugin/
• http://update.{BLOCKED}ash.com/version/update.zip

Information Theft

This adware gathers the following information on the affected computer:

• System date and time
• Operating system and version
• UserID
• Default browser
• Installed browsers
• Browser Activities
• Installed Antivirus

Other Details

This adware connects to the following website to send and receive information:

• http://{BLOCKED}ash.com/
• http://update.{BLOCKED}ash.com/version/
• https://sts.{BLOCKED}ash.com/software_stats/

NOTES:

This adware disguises itself as a browser plugin. Once installed, it is able to produce browser pop-ups and ads into websites.

It monitors all the plugins it installed. If any of the plugins gets disabled, it immediately re-enables the plugin. If any of the plugins is removed, it downloads and installs another copy of the plugin.