Modified by: Sabrina Lei Sioting

ALIASES:

Worm:Win32/Nuqel.AE (Microsoft); IM-Worm.Win32.Sohanad.qi (Kaspersky); W32.Imaut (Symantec); W32/Autorun.worm.fj (Nai); W32/Impair-A (Sophos); IM-Worm:W32/Sohanad.HM (Fsecure); Worm.Win32.Nuqel.z (Sunbelt)

 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 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: 783,444 bytes
File Type: EXE
Memory Resident: Yes
Initial Samples Received Date: 17 Jun 2010

Arrival Details

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

It may arrive via network shares.

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:

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

(Note: %Windows% is the Windows folder, which is usually C:\Windows or C:\WINNT.. %System% is the Windows system folder, which is usually C:\Windows\System on Windows 98 and ME, C:\WINNT\System32 on Windows NT and 2000, or C:\Windows\System32 on Windows XP and Server 2003.)

It drops the following files:

  • %System%\setting.ini
  • %System%\setup.ini

(Note: %System% is the Windows system folder, which is usually C:\Windows\System on Windows 98 and ME, C:\WINNT\System32 on Windows NT and 2000, or C:\Windows\System32 on Windows XP and Server 2003.)

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\System on Windows 98 and ME, C:\WINNT\System32 on Windows NT and 2000, or C:\Windows\System32 on Windows XP and Server 2003.)

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:

  • every day 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 = "\{host name}\{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"

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
DotNetRecovery
@ = "A"

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

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

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

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

Propagation

This worm drops copies of itself in the following shared folders:

  • regsvr.exe
  • 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 copies of itself in all physical and removable drives:

  • regsvr.exe
  • New Folder .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:

  • %System%\dotnetfx.dll - detected as BKDR_AGENTT.DM

(Note: %System% is the Windows system folder, which is usually C:\Windows\System on Windows 98 and ME, C:\WINNT\System32 on Windows NT and 2000, or C:\Windows\System32 on Windows XP and Server 2003.)

Other Details

This worm connects to the following possibly malicious URL:

  • http://{BLOCKED}hoo.com/setting.doc
  • http://{BLOCKED}hoo.com/setting.xls
  • http://{BLOCKED}oo.com/setting.doc
  • http://{BLOCKED}oo.com/setting.xls
  • http://{BLOCKED}om/setting.doc
  • http://{BLOCKED}om/setting.xls

NOTES:

The dropped AUTORUN.INF is detected as MAL_OTORUN2.

  SOLUTION

Minimum Scan Engine: 9.200
FIRST VSAPI PATTERN FILE: 7.248.01
FIRST VSAPI PATTERN DATE: 17 Jun 2010
VSAPI OPR PATTERN File: 7.249.00
VSAPI OPR PATTERN Date: 17 Jun 2010

Step 1

For Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 users, before doing any scans, please make sure you disable System Restore to allow full scanning of your computer.

Step 2

Remove malware files dropped/downloaded by WORM_SOHANAD.LO

Step 3

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

[ Learn More ]

Step 4

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

  1. Open Notepad. To do this, click Start>Run, type Notepad in the text box provided, then press Enter.
  2. Copy and paste the following script:
  3. Save this file as 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 prompt of the message box to execute the .VBS file.

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_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
    • Msn Messsenger = "%System%\regsvr.exe"
  • In HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\WorkgroupCrawler\Shares
    • shared = "\\{host name}\{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"
  • In HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\DotNetRecovery
    • @ = "A"

Step 6

Restore this modified 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 NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon
    • From: Shell = "Explorer.exe regsvr.exe"
      To: Shell = Explorer.exe

Step 7

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%\28463

Step 8

Search and delete this file

[ Learn More ]
There may be some component 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%\setting.ini
%System%\setup.ini
%Windows%\Tasks\At1.job

Step 9

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

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

Step 10

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