Modified by: Sabrina Lei Sioting

ALIASES:

Worm:Win32/Nuqel.BD [Microsoft]; IM-Worm.Win32.Sohanad.pw [Kaspersky]; W32.Imaut.BH [Symantec]; W32/Autorun.worm.f [Nai]; Mal/Drpr-B [Sophos]; Worm.Win32.AutoIt [Ikarus]; Win32/Autoit.AG worm [NOD32]

 PLATFORM:

Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003

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

  • Threat Type: Worm

  • Destructiveness: No

  • Encrypted: Yes

  • In the wild: Yes

  OVERVIEW

This worm arrives by connecting affected removable drives to a system. It arrives by accessing affected shared networks. It arrives on a system as a file dropped by other malware or as a file downloaded unknowingly by users when visiting malicious sites.

It uses Windows Task Scheduler to create a scheduled task that executes the dropped copy.

It disables Task Manager, Registry Editor, and Folder Options.

It drops an AUTORUN.INF file to automatically execute the copies it drops when a user accesses the drives of an affected system.

  TECHNICAL DETAILS

File Size: 6,511,616 bytes
File Type: EXE
Memory Resident: Yes
Initial Samples Received Date: 23 Apr 2012

Arrival Details

This worm arrives by connecting affected removable drives to a system.

It arrives by accessing affected shared networks.

It 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:

  • %System%\regsvr.exe
  • %Windows%\regsvr.exe
  • %System%\svchost .exe

(Note: %System% is the Windows system folder, which is usually C:\Windows\System32.. %Windows% is the Windows folder, which is usually C:\Windows.)

It uses Windows Task Scheduler to create a scheduled task that executes the dropped copy.

It creates the following folders:

  • %System%\28463

(Note: %System% is the Windows system folder, which is usually C:\Windows\System32.)

Autostart Technique

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

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
Msn Messsenger = "%System%\regsvr.exe"

It modifies the following registry entries to ensure it automatic execution at every system startup:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon
Shell = "Explorer.exe regsvr.exe"

(Note: The default value data of the said registry entry is Explorer.exe.)

The scheduled task executes the malware at the following period:

  • everyday 9:00 AM

Other System Modifications

This worm adds the following registry entries as part of its installation routine:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\
WorkgroupCrawler\Shares
shared = "\{hostname}\{shared folder}\New Folder .exe"

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings
GlobalUserOffline = "0"

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\
Services\Schedule
AtTaskMaxHours = "0"

It creates the following registry entry(ies) to disable Task Manager, Registry Tools and Folder Options:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\
Explorer
NofolderOptions = "0"

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\
System
DisableTaskMgr = "0"

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\
System
DisableRegistryTools = "1"

Propagation

This worm searches the network for the following shared networks onto which it attempts to drop copies of itself:

  • New Folder .exe

It searches for folders in all physical and removable drives then drops copies of itself inside the folder as {folder name}.EXE.

It drops the following copy of itself in all physical and removable drives:

  • regsvr.exe

It drops an AUTORUN.INF file to automatically execute the copies it drops when a user accesses the drives of an affected system.

The said .INF file contains the following strings:

[Autorun]
Open=regsvr.exe
Shellexecute=regsvr.exe
Shell\Open\command=regsvr.exe
Shell=Open

Dropping Routine

This worm drops the following files:

  • %User Temp%\aut1.tmp
  • %User Temp%\aut2.tmp
  • %System%\28463\svchost.001
  • %System%\setting.ini
  • %System%\setup.ini

(Note: %User Temp% is the current user's Temp folder, which is usually C:\Documents and Settings\{user name}\Local Settings\Temp on Windows 2000, XP, and Server 2003, or C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Local\Temp 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://{BLOCKED}oo.com/setting.doc
  • http://{BLOCKED}oo.com/setting.xls
  • http://{BLOCKED}om/setting.doc
  • http://{BLOCKED}om/setting.xls

  SOLUTION

Minimum Scan Engine: 9.200
FIRST VSAPI PATTERN FILE: 8.932.04
FIRST VSAPI PATTERN DATE: 23 Apr 2012
VSAPI OPR PATTERN File: 8.933.00
VSAPI OPR PATTERN Date: 24 Apr 2012

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

Identify and delete files detected as WORM_SOHANAD.GV using either the Startup Disk or Recovery Console

[ Learn More ]

Step 3

To enable Registry Editor, Task Manager, and Folder options:

  1. Open Notepad. To do this:
    • For Windows 2000, XP, and Server 2003 users:
      Click Start > Run, type Notepad in the text box provided, then press Enter.
    • For Windows Vista and 7 users:
      Click Start > type Notepad On Error Resume Next Set shl = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell") shl.RegDelete "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\\Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Policies\\System\\DisableTaskMgr" shl.RegDelete "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\\Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Policies\\System\\DisableRegistryTools" shl.RegDelete "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\\Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Policies\\Explorer\\NoFolderOptions" , then press Enter.
  2. Copy and paste the following script:
  3. Save this file as On Error Resume Next Set shl = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell") shl.RegDelete "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\\Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Policies\\System\\DisableTaskMgr" shl.RegDelete "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\\Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Policies\\System\\DisableRegistryTools" shl.RegDelete "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\\Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Policies\\Explorer\\NoFolderOptions"  On Error Resume Next Set shl = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell") shl.RegDelete "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\\Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Policies\\System\\DisableTaskMgr" shl.RegDelete "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\\Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Policies\\System\\DisableRegistryTools" shl.RegDelete "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\\Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Policies\\Explorer\\NoFolderOptions" C:RESTORE.VBS.
  4. Click Start>Run again, type C:RESTORE.VBS in the text box provided, then press Enter.
  5. Click Yes at the On Error Resume Next Set shl = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell") shl.RegDelete "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\\Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Policies\\System\\DisableTaskMgr" shl.RegDelete "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\\Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Policies\\System\\DisableRegistryTools" shl.RegDelete "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\\Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Policies\\Explorer\\NoFolderOptions"  On Error Resume Next Set shl = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell") shl.RegDelete "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\\Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Policies\\System\\DisableTaskMgr" shl.RegDelete "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\\Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Policies\\System\\DisableRegistryTools" shl.RegDelete "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\\Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Policies\\Explorer\\NoFolderOptions" prompt of the message box to execute the .VBS file.

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_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
    • Msn Messsenger = "%System%\regsvr.exe"
  • In HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\WorkgroupCrawler\Shares
    • shared = "\\{hostname}\{shared folder}\New Folder .exe"
  • In HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings
    • GlobalUserOffline = "0"
  • In HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Schedule
    • AtTaskMaxHours = "0"

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_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon
    • From: Shell = "Explorer.exe regsvr.exe"
      To: Shell = Explorer.exe

Step 6

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.
  • %System%\28463

Step 7

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.
%System%\setting.ini
%System%\setup.ini
%Windows%\Tasks\At1.job

Step 8

Search and delete AUTORUN.INF files created by WORM_SOHANAD.GV that contain these strings

[ Learn More ]
[Autorun]
Open=regsvr.exe
Shellexecute=regsvr.exe
Shell\Open\command=regsvr.exe
Shell=Open

Step 9

Scan your computer with your Trend Micro product to delete files detected as WORM_SOHANAD.GV. 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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