Analysis by: Bren Matthew Ebriega
ALIASES:

W64/CoinMiner.QG!tr (FORTINET); Trojan.Win32.Shelma.axvq (KASPERSKY)

 PLATFORM:

Windows

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

  • Threat Type: Coinminer

  • Destructiveness: No

  • Encrypted: Yes

  • In the wild: Yes

  OVERVIEW

Infection Channel: Dropped by other malware, Downloaded from the Internet

This Coinminer may be downloaded by other malware/grayware/spyware from remote sites.

  TECHNICAL DETAILS

File Size: 1,760,256 bytes
File Type: EXE
Memory Resident: Yes
Initial Samples Received Date: 28 Apr 2021

Arrival Details

This Coinminer may be downloaded by other malware/grayware/spyware from remote sites.

Other Details

This Coinminer does the following:

  • It uses the system's central processing unit (CPU) and/or graphical processing unit (GPU) resources to mine cryptocurrency. This behavior makes the system run abnormally slow.
  • Accepts the following configuration file:
    • {Coinminer directory}\configXXX1.json
  • Uses the following pools for mining:
    • p.{BLOCKED}q.com:443
    • p.{BLOCKED}4.com:443
  • Uses the following http host for HTTP API:
    • {BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.0.1:43669
  • Uses the following credentials:
    • Username: x
    • password:
  • Has an embedded configuration if config file is not found.

It accepts the following parameters:

  • -o or --url=URL -URL of mining server
  • -a or --algo=ALGO -mining algorithm
  • --coin=COIN -specify coin instead of algorithm
  • -u or --user=USERNAME -username for mining server
  • -p or --pass=PASSWORD -password for mining server
  • -O or --userpass=U:P -username:password pair for mining server
  • -x or --proxy=HOST:PORT -connect through a SOCKS5 proxy
  • -k or --keepalive -send keepalive packet for prevent timeout (needs pool support)
  • --nicehash -enable nicehash support
  • --rig-id=ID -rig identifier for pool-side statistics (needs pool support)
  • --tls -enable SSL/TLS support (needs pool support)
  • --tls-fingerprint=HEX -pool TLS certificate fingerprint for strict certificate pinning
  • --daemon use daemon RPC -instead of pool for solo mining
  • --daemon-poll-interval=N -daemon poll interval in milliseconds (default: 1000)
  • --self-select=URL -self-select block templates from URL
  • -r or --retries=N -number of times to retry before switch to backup server (default: 5)
  • -R or --retry-pause=N -time to pause between retries (default: 5)
  • --user-agent -set custom user-agent string for pool
  • --donate-level=N -donate level, default 1% (1 minute in 100 minutes)
  • --donate-over-proxy=N -control donate over xmrig-proxy feature
  • --no-cpu -disable CPU mining backend
  • -t or --threads=N -number of CPU threads. Proper CPU affinity required for some optimizations.
  • --cpu-affinity -set process affinity to CPU core(s), mask 0x3 for cores 0 and 1
  • -v or --av=N -algorithm variation, 0 auto select
  • --cpu-priority -set process priority (0 idle, 2 normal to 5 highest)
  • --cpu-max-threads-hint=N -maximum CPU threads count (in percentage) hint for autoconfig
  • --cpu-memory-pool=N -number of 2 MB pages for persistent memory pool, -1 (auto), 0 (disable)
  • --cpu-no-yield -prefer maximum hashrate rather than system response/stability
  • --no-huge-pages -disable huge pages support
  • --hugepage-size=N -custom hugepage size in kB (Linux only)
  • --asm=ASM -ASM optimizations, possible values: auto, none, intel, ryzen, bulldozer
  • --randomx-init=N -thread count to initialize RandomX dataset
  • --randomx-no-numa -disable NUMA support for RandomX
  • --randomx-mode=MODE -RandomX mode: auto, fast, light
  • --randomx-1gb-pages -use 1GB hugepages for RandomX dataset (Linux only)
  • --randomx-wrmsr=N -write custom value(s) to MSR registers or disable MSR mod (-1)
  • --randomx-no-rdmsr -disable reverting initial MSR values on exit
  • --astrobwt-max-size=N -skip hashes with large stage 2 size, default: 550, min: 400, max: 1200
  • --astrobwt-avx2 -enable AVX2 optimizations for AstroBWT algorithm
  • --opencl -enable OpenCL mining backend
  • --opencl-devices=N -comma separated list of OpenCL devices to use
  • --opencl-platform=N -OpenCL platform index or name
  • --opencl-loader=PATH -path to OpenCL-ICD-Loader (OpenCL.dll or libOpenCL.so)
  • --opencl-no-cache -disable OpenCL cache
  • --print-platforms -print available OpenCL platforms and exit
  • --cuda -enable CUDA mining backend
  • --cuda-loader=PATH -path to CUDA plugin (xmrig-cuda.dll or libxmrig-cuda.so)
  • --cuda-devices=N -comma separated list of CUDA devices to use
  • --cuda-bfactor-hint=N -bfactor hint for autoconfig (0-12)
  • --cuda-bsleep-hint -bsleep hint for autoconfig
  • --no-nvml -disable NVML (NVIDIA Management Library) support
  • --api-worker-id=ID -custom worker-id for API
  • --api-id=ID -custom instance ID for API
  • --http-host=HOST -bind host for HTTP API (default: 127.0.0.1)
  • --http-port=N -bind port for HTTP API
  • --http-access-token=T -access token for HTTP API
  • --http-no-restricted -enable full remote access to HTTP API (only if access token set)
  • -S or --syslog -use system log for output messages
  • -l or --log-file=FILE -log all output to a file
  • --print-time=N -print hashrate report every N seconds
  • --health-print-time=N -print health report every N seconds
  • --no-color -disable colored output
  • --verbose -verbose output
  • -c or --config=FILE -load a JSON-format configuration file
  • -B or --background -run the miner in the background
  • -V or --version -output version information and exit
  • -h or --help -display this help and exit
  • --dry-run -test configuration and exit
  • --export-topology -export hwloc topology to a XML file and exit
  • --title set -custom console window title
  • --no-title -disable setting console window title

  SOLUTION

Minimum Scan Engine: 9.800
FIRST VSAPI PATTERN FILE: 16.732.04
FIRST VSAPI PATTERN DATE: 21 May 2021
VSAPI OPR PATTERN File: 16.733.00
VSAPI OPR PATTERN Date: 22 May 2021

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.XXPE50FFF044

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

Identify and terminate files detected as Coinminer.Win64.TOOLXMR.YXBEU

[ Learn More ]
  1. Windows Task Manager may not display all running processes. In this case, please use a third-party process viewer, preferably Process Explorer, to terminate the malware/grayware/spyware file. You may download the said tool here.
  2. If the detected file is displayed in either Windows Task Manager or Process Explorer but you cannot delete it, restart your computer in safe mode. To do this, refer to this link for the complete steps.
  3. If the detected file is not displayed in either Windows Task Manager or Process Explorer, continue doing the next steps.

Step 5

Scan your computer with your Trend Micro product to delete files detected as Coinminer.Win64.TOOLXMR.YXBEU. 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 the following Trend Micro Support pages for more information:


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