Analysis by: Francesca Villasanta
ALIASES:

Trojan:Win32/Emotet.PA (MICROSOFT)

 PLATFORM:

Windows

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

  • Threat Type: Trojan Spy

  • Destructiveness: No

  • Encrypted: No

  • In the wild: Yes

  OVERVIEW

Infection Channel: Downloaded from the Internet, Dropped by other malware

This Trojan Spy arrives on a system as a file dropped by other malware or as a file downloaded unknowingly by users when visiting malicious sites.

It executes then deletes itself afterward.

It does not have any backdoor routine.

However, as of this writing, the said sites are inaccessible.

  TECHNICAL DETAILS

File Size: 140,600 bytes
File Type: EXE
Memory Resident: Yes
Payload: Connects to URLs/IPs, Steals information

Arrival Details

This Trojan Spy 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 Trojan Spy drops the following copies of itself into the affected system:

  • When executed with administrative privileges:
    • %System%\{String1}{String2}.exe
  • When executed without administrative privileges:
    • %AppDataLocal%\{String1}{String2}\{String1}{String2}.exe

(Note: %System% is the Windows system folder, where it usually is C:\Windows\System32 on all Windows operating system versions.. %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).)

It adds the following processes:

  • {Malware File Path}\{Malware File Name} --{8 random characters}
  • When executed without administrative privileges:
    • %AppDataLocal%\{String1}{String2}\{String1}{String2}.exe
    • %AppDataLocal%\{String1}{String2}\{String1}{String2}.exe --{8 random characters}
  • When executed with administrative privileges:
    • %System%\{String1}{String2}.exe
    • %System%\{String1}{String2}.exe --{8 random characters}

(Note: %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).. %System% is the Windows system folder, where it usually is C:\Windows\System32 on all Windows operating system versions.)

It creates the following folders:

  • %AppDataLocal%\{String1}{String2}

(Note: %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).)

It executes then deletes itself afterward.

It adds the following mutexes to ensure that only one of its copies runs at any one time:

  • Global\I{Volume Serial Number}
  • Global\M{Volume Serial Number}

Autostart Technique

This Trojan Spy 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\{String1}{String2}
ImagePath = %System%\{String1}{String2}.exe

Backdoor Routine

This Trojan Spy does not have any backdoor routine.

Rootkit Capabilities

This Trojan Spy does not have rootkit capabilities.

Information Theft

This Trojan Spy gathers the following data:

  • Computer Name
  • File CRC
  • Volume Serial Number
  • OS Version
  • Processor Architecture
  • Running Processes
  • Process SessionId

Stolen Information

This Trojan Spy sends the gathered information via HTTP POST to the following URL:

  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.171.51:80/{Random Strings}
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.140.187:80/{Random Strings}
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.222.145:443/{Random Strings}
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.227.247:443/{Random Strings}
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.206.228:80/{Random Strings}
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.148.136:4143/{Random Strings}
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.12.221:8080/{Random Strings}
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.252.27:443/{Random Strings}
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.19.157:80/{Random Strings}
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.211.211:8080/{Random Strings}
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.94.183:8080/{Random Strings}
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.248.48:8080/{Random Strings}
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.44.53:80/{Random Strings}
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.93.123:8080/{Random Strings}
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.160.193:8080/{Random Strings}
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.175.216:8080/{Random Strings}
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.151.19:80/{Random Strings}
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.96.242:80/{Random Strings}
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.50.164:8080/{Random Strings}
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.212.42:443/{Random Strings}
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.90.90:7080/{Random Strings}
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.69.165:443/{Random Strings}
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.79.48:8080/{Random Strings}
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.29.90:80/{Random Strings}
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.85.35:8080/{Random Strings}
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.230.41:80/{Random Strings}
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.117.247:8080/{Random Strings}
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.166.192:80/{Random Strings}
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.99.129:8080/{Random Strings}
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.142.40:8080/{Random Strings}
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.62.186:8080/{Random Strings}
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.126.2:80/{Random Strings}
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.52.242:8080/{Random Strings}
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.101.13:80/{Random Strings}
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.52.146:20/{Random Strings}
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.163.9:80/{Random Strings}
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.131.215:443/{Random Strings}
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.88.13:80/{Random Strings}
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.148.222:8080/{Random Strings}
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.206.153:443/{Random Strings}
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.199.254:8080/{Random Strings}
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.150.209:80/{Random Strings}
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.126.66:80/{Random Strings}
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.105.16:465/{Random Strings}
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.213.173:8080/{Random Strings}
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.6.78:7080/{Random Strings}
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.128.163:8080/{Random Strings}
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.33.82:8080/{Random Strings}
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.112.70:443/{Random Strings}
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.1.74:8080/{Random Strings}
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.203.51:8080/{Random Strings}
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.215.57:7080/{Random Strings}
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.185.71:465/{Random Strings}
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.254.93:8080/{Random Strings}
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.54.77:20/{Random Strings}
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.200.27:443/{Random Strings}
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.45.129:8080/{Random Strings}
  • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.143.100:7080/{Random Strings}
  • where the {Random Strings} are as follows:
    • teapot
    • pnp
    • tpt
    • splash
    • site
    • codec
    • health
    • balloon
    • cab
    • odbc
    • badge
    • dma
    • psec
    • cookies
    • iplk
    • devices
    • enable
    • mult
    • prov
    • vermont
    • attrib
    • schema
    • iab
    • chunk
    • publish
    • prep
    • srvc
    • sess
    • ringin
    • nsip
    • stubs
    • img
    • add
    • xian
    • jit
    • free
    • pdf
    • loadan
    • arizona
    • tlb
    • forced
    • results
    • symbols
    • report
    • guids
    • taskbar
    • child
    • cone
    • glitch
    • entries
    • between
    • bml
    • usbccid
    • sym
    • enabled
    • merge
    • window
    • scripts
    • raster
    • acquire
    • json
    • rtm
    • walk
    • ban

Other Details

This Trojan Spy does the following:

  • It creates the service for persistence if the sample is executed with administrative privileges, otherwise it does not have any persistence.
  • It combines any two of the following strings and uses it as its filename "{String1}{String2}":
    • rel
    • tables
    • glue
    • impl
    • texture
    • related
    • key
    • nis
    • langs
    • iprop
    • exec
    • wrap
    • matrix
    • dump
    • phoenix
    • ribbon
    • sorting
    • pinned
    • lics
    • bit
    • unpack
    • adt
    • rep
    • jobs
    • acl
    • title
    • sound
    • events
    • targets
    • scrn
    • mheg
    • lines
    • prompt
    • adjust
    • xian
    • ser
    • cycle
    • redist
    • its
    • boxes
    • dma
    • small
    • cloud
    • flow
    • guiddef
    • whole
    • parent
    • bears
    • random
    • bulk
    • idebug
    • viewer
    • starta
    • comment
    • sel
    • source
    • hotspot
    • pnf
    • portal
    • sitka
    • iell
    • slide
    • typ
    • sonic
  • It deletes outdated copies of itself with a combination of any two of the following strings as its file name:
    • not
    • ripple
    • svcs
    • serv
    • wab
    • shader
    • single
    • without
    • wcs
    • define
    • eap
    • culture
    • slide
    • zip
    • tmpl
    • mini
    • polic
    • panes
    • earcon
    • menus
    • detect
    • form
    • uuidgen
    • pnp
    • admin
    • tuip
    • avatar
    • started
    • dasmrc
    • alaska
    • guids
    • wfp
    • adam
    • wgx
    • lime
    • indexer
    • repl
    • dev
    • mapi
    • resw
    • daf
    • diag
    • iss
    • vsc
    • turned
    • neutral
    • sat
    • source
    • enroll
    • mfidl
    • idl
    • based
    • right
    • cbs
    • radar
    • avg
    • wordpad
    • metagen
    • mouse
    • iprop
    • mdmmcd
    • jersey
    • thunk
    • subs

However, as of this writing, the said sites are inaccessible.

It does not exploit any vulnerability.

  SOLUTION

Minimum Scan Engine: 9.800
FIRST VSAPI PATTERN FILE: 18.106.04
FIRST VSAPI PATTERN DATE: 01 Dec 2022
VSAPI OPR PATTERN File: 18.107.00
VSAPI OPR PATTERN Date: 02 Dec 2022

Step 1

Trend Micro Predictive Machine Learning detects and blocks malware at the first sign of its existence, before it executes on your system. When enabled, your Trend Micro product detects this malware under the following machine learning name:

     
    • Troj.Win32.TRX.XXPE50FFF062

Step 2

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 3

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 4

Restart in Safe Mode

[ Learn More ]

Step 5

Delete this registry key

[ Learn More ]

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_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\{String1}{String2}

Step 6

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.
  • %System%\{String1}{String2}.exe
  • %AppDataLocal%\{String1}{String2}\{String1}{String2}.exe

Step 7

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.
%AppDataLocal%\{String1}{String2}

Step 8

Restart in normal mode and scan your computer with your Trend Micro product for files detected as TrojanSpy.Win32.EMOTET.UWAOIBENR. 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.


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