Analysis by: Maureen Reyes
ALIASES:

HackTool.Win32.KMSAuto.cr (Kasperksy), HackTool.WinActivator (MalwareBytes), a variant of Win32/HackTool.WinActivator.Q potentially unsafe (ESET-NOD32_

 PLATFORM:

Windows

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

  • Threat Type: Hacking Tool

  • Destructiveness: No

  • Encrypted:

  • In the wild: Yes

  OVERVIEW

This Hacking Tool 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 modifies the Internet Explorer Zone Settings.

  TECHNICAL DETAILS

File Size: 836,615 bytes
File Type: EXE
Memory Resident: No
Initial Samples Received Date: 19 Nov 2012

Arrival Details

This Hacking Tool 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.

Installation

This Hacking Tool drops the following files:

  • %System Root%\KTKTM
  • %User Temp%\tmp.dll
  • %User Temp%\tmp2.dll
  • %User Temp%\tmp3.dll
  • %User Temp%\license.xrm-ms

(Note: %System Root% is the Windows root folder, where it usually is C:\ on all Windows operating system versions.. %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, 7, and 8.)

It drops and executes the following files:

  • %User Temp%\run.exe

(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, 7, and 8.)

It adds the following processes:

  • "C:\Windows\System32\compact.exe" /u /a /i C:\KTKTM
  • "C:\Windows\System32\attrib.exe" C:\KTKTM +h +s +r
  • "C:\Windows\System32\icacls.exe" C:\KTKTM /remove administrators
  • "C:\Windows\System32\icacls.exe" C:\KTKTM /inheritance:r

Web Browser Home Page and Search Page Modification

This Hacking Tool modifies the Internet Explorer Zone Settings.

Other Details

This Hacking Tool does the following:

  • It creates a product key based on the user's specifications about their machine.
  • It uses the product key to activate Microsoft Products.
  • The user may read and/or change BIOS and/or system information using this tool.

  SOLUTION

Minimum Scan Engine: 9.850
SSAPI PATTERN File: 2.117.00
SSAPI PATTERN Date: 08 Nov 2018

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

Search and delete these files

[ Learn More ]
There may be some 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 Root%\KTKTM
  • %User Temp%\tmp.dll
  • %User Temp%\tmp2.dll
  • %User Temp%\tmp3.dll
  • %User Temp%\license.xrm-ms

Step 4

Reset the Internet Explorer Home and Search pages

[ Learn More ]

Step 5

Scan your computer with your Trend Micro product to delete files detected as HackTool.Win32.WinActivator.GA. 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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