Analysis by: Jeanne Jocson
ALIASES:

Win32/OpenCandy (ESET), PUA/OpenCandy.Gen (Avira)

 PLATFORM:

Windows

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

  • Threat Type: Adware

  • Destructiveness: No

  • Encrypted: No

  • In the wild: Yes

  OVERVIEW

Infection Channel: Downloaded from the Internet

This adware 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 manually installed by a user.

It does not have any propagation routine.

It does not have any backdoor routine.

It does not have any information-stealing capability.

It connects to certain websites to send and receive information.

  TECHNICAL DETAILS

File Size: 26,559,560 bytes
File Type: EXE
Memory Resident: No
Initial Samples Received Date: 12 Apr 2016
Payload: Connects to URLs/IPs

Arrival Details

This adware 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 manually installed by a user.

This malware arrives via the following means:

  • It may come bundled with third-party application installers.

Installation

This adware drops the following files:

  • %User Temp%\is-{random}.tmp\_isetup\_shfoldr.dll - deleted afterwards
  • %User Temp%\is-{random}.tmp\OCSetupHlp.dll - detected as ADW_OpenCandy.component
  • %User Temp%\is-{random}.tmp\{malware file name}.tmp - deleted afterwards
  • %User Temp%\is-{random}.tmp\_isetup\_RegDLL.tmp-deleted afterwards

It creates the following folders:

  • %User Temp%\is-{random}.tmp - deleted afterwards
  • %User Temp%\is-{random}.tmp\_isetup - deleted afterwards

(Note: %User Temp% is the user's temporary folder, where it usually is C:\Documents and Settings\{user name}\Local Settings\Temp on Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003, and Windows XP (32- and 64-bit); C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Local\Temp on Windows Vista (32- and 64-bit), Windows 7 (32- and 64-bit), Windows 8 (32- and 64-bit), Windows 8.1 (32- and 64-bit), Windows Server 2008, and Windows Server 2012.)

Propagation

This adware does not have any propagation routine.

Backdoor Routine

This adware does not have any backdoor routine.

Information Theft

This adware does not have any information-stealing capability.

Other Details

This adware connects to the following website to send and receive information:

  • http://cdn3.{BLOCKED}ndy.com{data}
  • http://api.{BLOCKED}ndy.com{data}

NOTES:

During the installation it offers a bundled AVG product to the user with pre-populated check box:

The installer installs the EaseUS Partition Master version 9.2.2.0 application:

It does not have rootkit capabilities.

It does not exploit any vulnerability.

  SOLUTION

Minimum Scan Engine: 9.800
SSAPI PATTERN File: 1.705.00
SSAPI PATTERN Date: 11 Feb 2016

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

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 3

Remove ADW_OPENCANDY.GD by using its own Uninstall option

[ Learn More ]
To uninstall the grayware process

Step 4

Remove malware/grayware files dropped/downloaded by ADW_OPENCANDY.GD. (Note: Please skip this step if the threats listed below have already been removed.)

     
    • ADW_OpenCandy.component

Step 5

Scan your computer with your Trend Micro product to clean files detected as ADW_OPENCANDY.GD. 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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