Analysis by: Rhena Inocencio
ALIASES:

Exploit:HTML/IframeRef (Microsoft), Exploit-MIME.gen.c. (McAfee), Exploit/iFrame (Panda)

 PLATFORM:

Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003

 OVERALL RISK RATING:
 DAMAGE POTENTIAL:
 DISTRIBUTION POTENTIAL:
 REPORTED INFECTION:

  • Threat Type: Trojan

  • Destructiveness: No

  • Encrypted: No

  • In the wild: Yes

  OVERVIEW

Infection Channel: Spammed via email

This Trojan arrives as an attachment to email messages spammed by other malware/grayware or malicious users.

It exploits software vulnerabilities to automatically execute attachments once a user reads or previews spammed messages. It does this action to allow easy execution of email attachments without the user opening the said attachments.

  TECHNICAL DETAILS

File Size: Varies
File Type: HTML, HTM
Initial Samples Received Date: 08 Apr 2009

Arrival Details

This Trojan arrives as an attachment to email messages spammed by other malware/grayware or malicious users.

Propagation

This Trojan exploits the following software vulnerabilities to automatically execute attachments once a user reads or previews a spammed message:

NOTES:

This malware's header information is modified to look like a .MIDI or .WAV file thus the malware is automatically executed when the email is previewed on unpatched systems.

It exploits a known vulnerability in Internet Explorer versions 5.01 and 5.5. known as the Automatic Execution of Embedded MIME Type. This vulnerability causes Internet Explorer to automatically run executable file attachments in email messages.

  SOLUTION

Minimum Scan Engine: 9.200
VSAPI OPR PATTERN File: 5.883.00
VSAPI OPR PATTERN Date: 08 Apr 2009

Step 1

For Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 users, before doing any scans, please make sure you disable System Restore to allow full scanning of your computer.

Step 2

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

Step 3

Download and apply these security patches Refrain from using these products until the appropriate patches have been installed. Trend Micro advises users to download critical patches upon release by vendors.


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