Arrival Details
This spyware arrives on a system as a file dropped by other malware or as a file downloaded unknowingly by users when visiting malicious sites.
Autostart Technique
This spyware adds the following registry entries to enable its automatic execution at every system startup:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
avst = "{malware path and file name}.exe"
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
krnl = "%System%\krnlx86.exe"
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
avst = "%System%\lssas.exe"
Other System Modifications
This spyware adds the following registry entries:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Internet Account Manager\Accounts
AssociatedID = {random values}
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Internet Account Manager
Server ID = 4
It modifies the following registry entries:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Identities
Last Username = "Main Identity"
(Note: The default value data of the said registry entry is Main Identity.)
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Identities
Last User ID = "{341F68BA-C841-4200-A7B4-3D5CFF202166}"
(Note: The default value data of the said registry entry is {5D1D9894-914A-4AF9-BD82-81F349A83013}.)
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Identities
Identity Login = 9853
(Note: The default value data of the said registry entry is 98053.)
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Identities
Identity Ordinal = 2
(Note: The default value data of the said registry entry is 1.)
Dropping Routine
This spyware drops the following files:
- %Program Files%\Internet Explorer\xpshimslg.dll
- %System Root%\pcname.reg
(Note: %Program Files% is the default Program Files folder, usually C:\Program Files in Windows 2000, Server 2003, and XP (32-bit), Vista (32-bit), and 7 (32-bit), or C:\Program Files (x86) in Windows XP (64-bit), Vista (64-bit), and 7 (64-bit).. %System Root% is the root folder, which is usually C:\. It is also where the operating system is located.)
This report is generated via an automated analysis system.
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
Restart in Safe Mode
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To restart in Safe Mode:
• For Windows 2000 users
- Restart your computer.
- Press F8 when you see the Starting Windows bar at the bottom of the screen.
- Choose the Safe Mode option from the Windows Advanced Options menu then press Enter.
• For Windows XP users
- Restart your computer.
- Press F8 after the Power-On Self Test (POST) routine is done. If the Windows Advanced Options menu does not appear, try restarting then pressing F8 several times when the POST screen appears.
- Choose the Safe Mode option from the Windows Advanced Options menu then press Enter.
• For Windows Server 2003 users
- Restart your computer.
- Press F8 after Windows starts up. If the Windows Advanced Options menu does not appear, try restarting again and pressing F8 several times afterward.
- On the Windows Advanced Option menu, use the arrow keys to select Safe Mode then press Enter.
• For Windows Vista and Windows 7 users
- Restart your computer.
- Press F8 after the Power-On Self Test (POST) routine is done. If the Advanced Boot Options menu does not appear, try restarting and then pressing F8 several times after the POST screen is displayed.
- On the Advanced Boot Options menu, use the arrow keys to select the Safe Mode option, and then press Enter.
Step 3
Delete this registry value
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Important: Editing the Windows Registry incorrectly can lead to irreversible system malfunction. Please do this step only if you know how or you can ask assistance from your system administrator. Else, check this Microsoft article first before modifying your computer's registry.
- In HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
- avst="{malware path and file name}.exe"
- In HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
- krnl="%System%\krnlx86.exe"
- In HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
- avst="%System%\lssas.exe"
- In HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Account Manager\Accounts
- AssociatedID={random values}
- In HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Account Manager
To delete the registry value this malware/grayware created:
- Open Registry Editor. Click Start>Run, type REGEDIT, then press Enter.
- In the left panel, double-click the following:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER>Software>Microsoft>Windows>CurrentVersion>Run - In the right panel, locate and delete the entry:
avst = "{malware path and file name}.exe" - Again In the right panel, locate and delete the entry:
krnl = "%System%\krnlx86.exe" - Again In the right panel, locate and delete the entry:
avst = "%System%\lssas.exe" - In the left panel, double-click the following:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER>Software>Microsoft>Internet Account Manager>Accounts - In the right panel, locate and delete the entry:
AssociatedID = {random values} - In the left panel, double-click the following:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER>Software>Microsoft>Internet Account Manager - In the right panel, locate and delete the entry:
Server ID = 4 - Close Registry Editor.
Step 4
Restore these modified registry values
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Important:Editing the Windows Registry incorrectly can lead to irreversible system malfunction. Please do this only if you know how to or you can seek your system administrator's help. You may also check out this Microsoft article first before modifying your computer's registry.
- In HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Identities
- From: Last Username="Main Identity"
To: Last Username=Main Identity
- In HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Identities
- From: Last User ID="{341F68BA-C841-4200-A7B4-3D5CFF202166}"
To: Last User ID={5D1D9894-914A-4AF9-BD82-81F349A83013}
- In HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Identities
- From: Identity Login=9853
To: Identity Login=98053
- In HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Identities
- From: Identity Ordinal=2
To: Identity Ordinal=1
To restore registry values this malware/grayware modified:
- Open Registry Editor. To do this:
- On Windows 2000, XP, and Server 2003:
Click Start>Run, type REGEDIT in the text box provided, and then press Enter. - On Windows Vista and 7:
Click the Start button, type REGEDIT in the Search input field then press Enter.
- In the left panel, double-click the following:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER>Identities - In the right panel, locate the registry value:
Last Username = "Main Identity" - Right-click on the value name and choose Modify. Change the value data of this entry to:
Last Username = Main Identity - Again In the right panel, locate the registry value:
Last User ID = "{341F68BA-C841-4200-A7B4-3D5CFF202166}" - Right-click on the value name and choose Modify. Change the value data of this entry to:
Last User ID = {5D1D9894-914A-4AF9-BD82-81F349A83013} - Again In the right panel, locate the registry value:
Identity Login = 9853 - Right-click on the value name and choose Modify. Change the value data of this entry to:
Identity Login = 98053 - Again In the right panel, locate the registry value:
Identity Ordinal = 2 - Right-click on the value name and choose Modify. Change the value data of this entry to:
Identity Ordinal = 1 - Close Registry Editor.
Step 5
Search and delete these components
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There may be some components 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.
- %Program Files%\Internet Explorer\xpshimslg.dll
- %System Root%\pcname.reg
To manually delete a malware/grayware component from an affected system:
• For Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003:
- Right-click Start then click Search....
- In the Named input box, type:
- %Program Files%\Internet Explorer\xpshimslg.dll
- %System Root%\pcname.reg
- In the Look In drop-down list, select My Computer then press Enter.
- Once located, select the file then press SHIFT+DELETE to delete it.
- Repeat the said steps for all files listed.
• For Windows Vista and Windows 7 users:
- Click Start>Computer.
- In the Search input box, type:
- %Program Files%\Internet Explorer\xpshimslg.dll
- %System Root%\pcname.reg
- Once located, select the file then press SHIFT+DELETE to delete it.
- Repeat the said steps for all files listed.
*Note: Read the following Microsoft page if these steps do not work on Windows 7.
Step 6
Restart in normal mode and scan your computer with your Trend Micro product for files detected as TSPY_VBKLOG.SMIB. 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.
