Analysis by: Jay Garcia
ALIASES:

Win32/Toolbar.MyWebSearch.BA potentially unwanted (ESET-NOD32); Generic PUA DN (PUA) (Sophos AV)

 PLATFORM:

Windows

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

  • 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.

It connects to certain websites to send and receive information.

  TECHNICAL DETAILS

File Size: 380568 bytes
File Type: EXE
Memory Resident: No
Initial Samples Received Date: 22 May 2018
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:

  • %User Temp%\ns{random characters}.tmp\nsDialogs.dll
  • %User Temp%\ns{random characters}.tmp\System.dll
  • %User Temp%\ns{random characters}.tmp\TransitSimplified_msi_bg-copy_1501785279667.bmp
  • %User Temp%\ns{random characters}.tmp\reporting
  • %User Temp%\ns{random characters}.tmp\cancel_blue_1473358017200.bmp
  • %User Temp%\ns{random characters}.tmp\Install_ENG_1435680405923.bmp
  • %User Temp%\ns{random characters}.tmp\reporting
  • %User Temp%\ns{random characters}.tmp\installerParams
  • %User Temp%\ns{random characters}.tmp\reporting
  • %User Temp%\ns{random characters}.tmp\TransitSimplified_msi_bg-copy_1501785292781.bmp
  • %User Temp%\ns{random characters}.tmp\reporting
  • %AppDataLocal%\TransitSimplifiedTooltab\TooltabExtension.dll
  • %User Temp%\ns{random characters}.tmp\reporting

(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).. %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).)

Other System Modifications

This Potentially Unwanted Application adds the following registry entries:

HKEY_CURRENT_URSER\Software\TransitSimplified
Start Page = "http://hp.{BLOCKED}y.com/transitsimplified/ttab02/index.html?n=78497636&p2=^BYP^mni000^TTAB02&ptb=2DA31C30-F19F-4223-A7D9-0AE5A043F453&coid=6357f541372247b29de80313cf5c2932"

HKEY_CURRENT_URSER\Software\TransitSimplified
UnInstallSurveyUrl = "http://@{downloadDomain}.dl.{BLOCKED}y.com/uninstall.jhtml?surveyUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.research.net%2Fr%2FHYSCVNM%3Fc%3D2DA31C30-F19F-4223-A7D9-0AE5A043F453%26ptb%3D^BYP^mni000^TTAB02"

Other Details

This Potentially Unwanted Application connects to the following website to send and receive information:

  • http://dp.tb.{BLOCKED}k.com:443
  • http://apps.{BLOCKED}ust.com/roots/dstrootcax3.p7c
  • http://anx.{BLOCKED}ark.com/anx.gif?anxa=CAPDownloadProcess&anxe=Error&errorCode=-16&errorType=nsisError&errorDetails=&platform=vicinio&anxv=2.7.1.3000&anxd=2018-05-18&coid=&refPartner=^BYP^mni000^TTAB02&refSub=&anxl=en-US&anxr=-2006788705&refCobrand=BYP&refCampaign=mni000&refTrack=TTAB02&refCountry=
  • http://anx.{BLOCKED}ark.com/anx.gif?anxa=CAPDownloadProcess&anxe=Error&errorCode=-8&errorType=nsisError&errorDetails=3d49db2ecb4855112017327f46b76b184cb4a3d6%2Eexe&platform=vicinio&anxv=2.7.1.3000&anxd=2018-05-18&coid=6357f541372247b29de80313cf5c2932&refPartner=^BYP^mni000^TTAB02&refSub=&anxl=en-US&anxr=2104981669&refCobrand=BYP&refCampaign=mni000&refTrack=TTAB02&refCountry=

It does the following:

  • It displays the following during installation:

  SOLUTION

Minimum Scan Engine: 9.850
SSAPI PATTERN File: 2.217.00
SSAPI PATTERN Date: 27 Sep 2019

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

Remove PUA.Win32.Mindspark.AA by using its own Uninstall option

[ Learn More ]
To uninstall the grayware process

Step 3

Scan your computer with your Trend Micro product to delete files detected as PUA.Win32.Mindspark.AA. 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:


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