Analysis by: John Anthony Banes
ALIASES:

a variant of Win32/Sogou.H (NOD32)

 PLATFORM:

Windows

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

  • Threat Type: Potentially Unwanted Application

  • Destructiveness: No

  • Encrypted:

  • In the wild: Yes

  OVERVIEW

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 may be manually installed by a user.

  TECHNICAL DETAILS

File Size: 2,383,432 bytes
File Type: EXE
Memory Resident: No
Initial Samples Received Date: 15 Mar 2018

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.

It may be manually installed by a user.

Installation

This Potentially Unwanted Application adds the following folders:

  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\crash
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\crash\.svn
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\crash\.svn\prop-base
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\crash\.svn\text-base
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\download
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\download\download
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\download\download\.svn
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\download\download\.svn\text-base
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\download\download\.svn\prop-base

(Note: %Program Files% is the Program Files folder, where it usually is C:\Program Files on all Windows operating system versions; C:\Program Files (x86) for 32-bit applications running on Windows 64-bit operating systems.)

It drops the following files:

  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\crash\.svn\all-wcprops
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\crash\.svn\entries
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\crash\.svn\format
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\crash\.svn\prop-base\ExceptionReport.exe.svn-base
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\crash\.svn\text-base\ExceptionReport.exe.svn-base
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\crash\ExceptionReport.exe
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\download\download\.svn\all-wcprops
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\download\download\.svn\entries
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\download\download\.svn\format
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\download\download\.svn\prop-base\atl71.dll.svn-base
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\download\download\.svn\prop-base\dl_peer_id.dll.svn-base
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\download\download\.svn\prop-base\download_engine.dll.svn-base
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\download\download\.svn\prop-base\MiniThunderPlatform.exe.svn-base
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\download\download\.svn\prop-base\MiniTPFw.exe.svn-base
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\download\download\.svn\prop-base\msvcp71.dll.svn-base
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\download\download\.svn\prop-base\msvcr71.dll.svn-base
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\download\download\.svn\prop-base\ThunderFW.exe.svn-base
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\download\download\.svn\prop-base\zlib1.dll.svn-base
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\download\download\.svn\text-base\atl71.dll.svn-base
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\download\download\.svn\text-base\dl_peer_id.dll.svn-base
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\download\download\.svn\text-base\download_engine.dll.svn-base
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\download\download\.svn\text-base\id.dat.svn-base
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\download\download\.svn\text-base\MiniThunderPlatform.exe.svn-base
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\download\download\.svn\text-base\MiniTPFw.exe.svn-base
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\download\download\.svn\text-base\msvcp71.dll.svn-base
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\download\download\.svn\text-base\msvcr71.dll.svn-base
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\download\download\.svn\text-base\ThunderFW.exe.svn-base
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\download\download\.svn\text-base\zlib1.dll.svn-base
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\download\download\atl71.dll
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\download\download\dl_peer_id.dll
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\download\download\download_engine.dll
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\download\download\id.dat
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\download\download\MiniThunderPlatform.exe
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\download\download\MiniTPFw.exe
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\download\download\msvcp71.dll
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\download\download\msvcr71.dll
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\download\download\ThunderFW.exe
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\download\download\zlib1.dll
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\download\xldl.dll
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\SogouSoftware.exe
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\SogouSoftwareLoader.dll

(Note: %Program Files% is the Program Files folder, where it usually is C:\Program Files on all Windows operating system versions; C:\Program Files (x86) for 32-bit applications running on Windows 64-bit operating systems.)

It drops and executes the following files:

  • %User Temp%\minidownload.exe

(Note: %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.)

  SOLUTION

Minimum Scan Engine: 9.850

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

Note that not all files, folders, and registry keys and entries are installed on your computer during this malware's/spyware's/grayware's execution. This may be due to incomplete installation or other operating system conditions. If you do not find the same files/folders/registry information, please proceed to the next step.

Step 3

Identify and terminate files detected as PUA_MULTILOAD.GA

[ Learn More ]
  1. Windows Task Manager may not display all running processes. In this case, please use a third-party process viewer, preferably Process Explorer, to terminate the malware/grayware/spyware file. You may download the said tool here.
  2. If the detected file is displayed in either Windows Task Manager or Process Explorer but you cannot delete it, restart your computer in safe mode. To do this, refer to this link for the complete steps.
  3. If the detected file is not displayed in either Windows Task Manager or Process Explorer, continue doing the next steps.

Step 4

Search and delete this folder

[ 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.
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\crash
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\crash\.svn
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\crash\.svn\prop-base
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\crash\.svn\text-base
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\download
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\download\download
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\download\download\.svn
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\download\download\.svn\text-base
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\download\download\.svn\prop-base

Step 5

Search and delete these files

[ Learn More ]
There may be some files that are hidden. Please make sure you check the Search Hidden Files and Folders checkbox in the "More advanced options" option to include all hidden files and folders in the search result.
  • %User Temp%\minidownload.exe
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\crash\.svn\all-wcprops
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\crash\.svn\entries
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\crash\.svn\format
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\crash\.svn\prop-base\ExceptionReport.exe.svn-base
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\crash\.svn\text-base\ExceptionReport.exe.svn-base
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\crash\ExceptionReport.exe
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\download\download\.svn\all-wcprops
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\download\download\.svn\entries
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\download\download\.svn\format
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\download\download\.svn\prop-base\atl71.dll.svn-base
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\download\download\.svn\prop-base\dl_peer_id.dll.svn-base
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\download\download\.svn\prop-base\download_engine.dll.svn-base
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\download\download\.svn\prop-base\MiniThunderPlatform.exe.svn-base
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\download\download\.svn\prop-base\MiniTPFw.exe.svn-base
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\download\download\.svn\prop-base\msvcp71.dll.svn-base
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\download\download\.svn\prop-base\msvcr71.dll.svn-base
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\download\download\.svn\prop-base\ThunderFW.exe.svn-base
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\download\download\.svn\prop-base\zlib1.dll.svn-base
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\download\download\.svn\text-base\atl71.dll.svn-base
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\download\download\.svn\text-base\dl_peer_id.dll.svn-base
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\download\download\.svn\text-base\download_engine.dll.svn-base
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\download\download\.svn\text-base\id.dat.svn-base
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\download\download\.svn\text-base\MiniThunderPlatform.exe.svn-base
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\download\download\.svn\text-base\MiniTPFw.exe.svn-base
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\download\download\.svn\text-base\msvcp71.dll.svn-base
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\download\download\.svn\text-base\msvcr71.dll.svn-base
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\download\download\.svn\text-base\ThunderFW.exe.svn-base
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\download\download\.svn\text-base\zlib1.dll.svn-base
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\download\download\atl71.dll
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\download\download\dl_peer_id.dll
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\download\download\download_engine.dll
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\download\download\id.dat
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\download\download\MiniThunderPlatform.exe
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\download\download\MiniTPFw.exe
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\download\download\msvcp71.dll
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\download\download\msvcr71.dll
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\download\download\ThunderFW.exe
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\download\download\zlib1.dll
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\download\xldl.dll
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\SogouSoftware.exe
  • %Program Files%\SogouSoftware\SogouSoftwareLoader.dll

Step 6

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