Analysis by: Eleazar Valles
ALIASES:

Trojan:Win64/Emotet.PAM!MTB(MICROSOFT)

 PLATFORM:

Windows

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

  • Threat Type: Trojan Spy

  • Destructiveness: No

  • Encrypted:

  • 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 may be dropped by other malware.

It executes commands from a remote malicious user, effectively compromising the affected system.

It deletes the initially executed copy of itself.

  TECHNICAL DETAILS

File Size: 833,024 bytes
File Type: DLL
Memory Resident: Yes
Payload: Connects to URLs/IPs, Steals information, Deletes files

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.

It may be dropped by the following malware:

Installation

This Trojan Spy drops and executes the following files:

  • If executed with administrator rights:
    • %System%\{random}\{random characters}.{3 random characters}
  • If executed without administrator rights:
    • %AppDataLocal%\{random}\{random characters}.{3 random characters}

(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:

  • If executed with administrator rights:
    • %System%\regsvr32.exe "%System%\{random}\{random characters}.{3 random characters}"
  • If executed without administrator rights:
    • %System%\regsvr32.exe "%AppDataLocal%\{random}\{random characters}.{3 random characters}"

(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 creates the following folders:

  • If executed with administrator rights:
    • %System%\{random}
  • If executed without administrator rights:
    • %AppDataLocal%\{random}

(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).)

Other System Modifications

This Trojan Spy adds the following registry entries:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\
services\{File name of dropped file} → If executed with admin rights
ImagePath = %System%\regsvr32.exe "%System%\{random}\{random characters}.{3 random characters}"

Backdoor Routine

This Trojan Spy executes the following commands from a remote malicious user:

  • Downloads and runs module or executable file
  • Downloads and executes code in memory
    • Process Listing

Download Routine

This Trojan Spy saves the files it downloads using the following names:

  • For Download and run module command:
    • {Malware Installation Folder Path}\{random characters}.dll
  • For Download and run executable file:
    • {Malware Installation Folder Path}\{random characters}.exe

Information Theft

This Trojan Spy gathers the following data:

  • Computer Name
  • OS Version
  • Process Architecture
  • Volume Serial Number
  • Windows Version
  • Process ID
  • Malware Path
  • Running processes
  • System Information

Other Details

This Trojan Spy does the following:

  • It receives commands and sends encrypted gathered information to the following URLs via HTTP/HTTPS GET by storing it in the Cookie header:
    • http://{BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.82.196:8080
    • http://{BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.202.34:443
    • http://{BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.37.178:8080
    • http://{BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.244.7:443
    • http://{BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.66.124:8080
    • http://{BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.140.115:443
    • http://{BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.30.83:443
    • http://{BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.124.41:7080
    • http://{BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.247.144:8080
    • http://{BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.140.238:7080
    • http://{BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.75.120:443
    • http://{BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.163.214:443
    • http://{BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.152.127:8080
    • http://{BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.28.102:8080
    • http://{BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.99.3:8080
    • http://{BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.115.99:8080
    • http://{BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.109.124:443
    • http://{BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.201.15:8080
    • http://{BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.21.224:8080
    • http://{BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.193.249:8080
    • http://{BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.166.162:443
    • http://{BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.98.206:8080
    • http://{BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.131.28:8080
    • http://{BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.28.33:8080
    • http://{BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.112.196:8080
    • http://{BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.98.99:8080
    • http://{BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.242.26:8080
    • http://{BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.253.162:8080
    • http://{BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.227.137:8080
    • http://{BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.226.45:443
    • http://{BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.188.93:443
    • http://{BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.142.56:8080
    • http://{BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.196.120:8080
    • http://{BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.76.89:8080
    • http://{BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.20.25:443
    • http://{BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.24.231:80
    • http://{BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.66.193:8080
    • http://{BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.222.101:443
    • http://{BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.28.199:8080
    • http://{BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.251.154:8080
    • http://{BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.0.91:8080
    • http://{BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.39.149:8080
    • http://{BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.20.155:443
    • http://{BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.88.10:8080
    • http://{BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.17.99:8080
    • http://{BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.117.186:8080
    • http://{BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.45.86:4143
    • http://{BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.229.39:8080
    • http://{BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.35.198:8080
    • http://{BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.227.76:8080
    • http://{BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.215.74:443
    • http://{BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.146.25:7080
    • http://{BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.232.124:443
    • http://{BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.2.232:8080
    • http://{BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.222.11:443
    • http://{BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.135.165:8080
    • http://{BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.150.244:8080
    • http://{BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.201.2:443
    • http://{BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.42.236:80
    • http://{BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.116.246:8080
    • http://{BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.8.30:8080
    • http://{BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.21.73:7080

It deletes the initially executed copy of itself.

  SOLUTION

Minimum Scan Engine: 9.800
FIRST VSAPI PATTERN FILE: 17.582.06
FIRST VSAPI PATTERN DATE: 24 May 2022
VSAPI OPR PATTERN File: 17.583.00
VSAPI OPR PATTERN Date: 25 May 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.XXPE50FFF057

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 value

[ 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\{File name of dropped file}
    • ImagePath = %System%\regsvr32.exe %System%\{random characters}\{File Name of Copy}

Step 6

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\{File Name of Copy}

Step 7

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%\{random}\{random characters}.{3 random characters}
  • %AppDataLocal%\{random}\{random characters}.{3 random characters}
  • {Malware Installation Folder Path}\{random characters}.dll
  • {Malware Installation Folder Path}\{random characters}.exe

Step 8

Search and delete these folders

[ 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.
  • %System%\{Random characters}
  • %AppDataLocal%\{Random characters}

Step 9

Restart in normal mode and scan your computer with your Trend Micro product for files detected as TrojanSpy.Win64.EMOTET.SMYXCETT. 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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