ALIASES:

Worm:Win32/P2Load.A (Microsoft); W32/P2Load.gen!p2p (McAfee); W32.Peerload.A (Symantec); P2P-Worm.Win32.P2Load.a (Kaspersky); ERROR (Sunbelt); Trojan horse Startpage.PE.dropper (AVG)

 PLATFORM:

Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003

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

  • Threat Type: Worm

  • Destructiveness: No

  • Encrypted:

  • In the wild: Yes

  OVERVIEW

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

  TECHNICAL DETAILS

File Size: 45,099 bytes
File Type: EXE
Memory Resident: Yes
Initial Samples Received Date: 22 Jun 2013

Arrival Details

This worm 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 worm drops the following copies of itself into the affected system:

  • \incoming\{malware file name}
  • \{malware file name}

Autostart Technique

This worm adds the following registry entries to enable its automatic execution at every system startup:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
Winlogin = "%System%\winlogin.exe"

Other System Modifications

This worm adds the following registry keys:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\eMule

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Kazaa\
LocalContent

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\iMesh\
iMesh5\Transfer

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Shareaza\
Shareaza\Downloads

It adds the following registry entries:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Internet Explorer\Main
Search Bar = "http://www.{BLOCKED}ad.de/share/?l=e"

It modifies the following registry entries:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Internet Explorer\Main
Start Page = "http://www.{BLOCKED}ad.de/share/?l=e"

(Note: The default value data of the said registry entry is http://www.microsoft.com/isapi/redir.dll?prd=ie&pver=6&ar=msnhome.)

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Internet Explorer\Main
Search Page = "http://www.{BLOCKED}ad.de/share/?l=e"

(Note: The default value data of the said registry entry is http://www.microsoft.com/isapi/redir.dll?prd=ie&ar=iesearch.)

Dropping Routine

This worm drops the following files:

  • \Incoming\.url
  • \.url
  • %Favorites%\Musik, Filme, Software und vieles mehr kostenlos!.url
  • %System%\winlogin.exe

(Note: %Favorites% is the current user's Favorites folder, which is usually C:\Documents and Settings\{user name}\Favorites on Windows 2000, XP, and Server 2003, or C:\Users\{user name}\Favorites on Windows Vista and 7.. %System% is the Windows system folder, which is usually C:\Windows\System32.)

Other Details

This worm connects to the following possibly malicious URL:

  • http://www.{BLOCKED}y.de/stat.dat
  • http://www.{BLOCKED}k.com/stat.dat
  • http://www.{BLOCKED}ad.de/stat.dat

This report is generated via an automated analysis system.

  SOLUTION

Minimum Scan Engine: 9.300

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

[ Learn More ]

Step 3

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_CURRENT_USER\Software
    • eMule
  • In HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Kazaa
    • LocalContent
  • In HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\iMesh\iMesh5
    • Transfer
  • In HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Shareaza\Shareaza
    • Downloads

Step 4

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\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
    • Winlogin = "%System%\winlogin.exe"
  • In HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main
    • Search Bar = "http://www.{BLOCKED}ad.de/share/?l=e"

Step 5

Restore these modified registry values

[ Learn More ]

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\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main
    • From: Start Page = "http://www.{BLOCKED}ad.de/share/?l=e"
      To: Start Page = ""http://www.microsoft.com/isapi/redir.dll?prd=ie&pver=6&ar=msnhome""
  • In HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main
    • From: Search Page = "http://www.{BLOCKED}ad.de/share/?l=e"
      To: Search Page = ""http://www.microsoft.com/isapi/redir.dll?prd=ie&ar=iesearch""

Step 6

Search and delete these components

[ Learn More ]
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.
  • \Incoming\.url
  • \.url
  • %Favorites%\Musik, Filme, Software und vieles mehr kostenlos!.url
  • %System%\winlogin.exe

Step 7

Restart in normal mode and scan your computer with your Trend Micro product for files detected as WORM_P2LOAD.A. 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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