PUA.BAT.BypassUAC.RC
Windows


Threat Type: Potentially Unwanted Application
Destructiveness: No
Encrypted:
In the wild: Yes
OVERVIEW
This Potentially Unwanted Application arrives on a system as a file dropped by other malware or as a file downloaded unknowingly by users when visiting malicious sites.
It does not have any propagation routine.
It does not have any backdoor routine.
It does not have any information-stealing capability.
TECHNICAL DETAILS
Arrival Details
This Potentially Unwanted Application 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 Potentially Unwanted Application adds the following processes:
- powercfg -change -monitor-timeout-ac 0
- powercfg -change -monitor-timeout-dc 0
- powercfg -change -disk-timeout-ac 0
- powercfg -change -disk-timeout-dc 0
- powercfg -change -standby-timeout-ac 0
- powercfg -change -standby-timeout-dc 0
- powercfg -change -hibernate-timeout-ac 0
- powercfg -change -hibernate-timeout-bc 0
- wmic recoveros set AutoReboot = False
- reg add "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System" /v ConsentPromptBehaviorAdmin /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
- reg add "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System" /v PromptOnSecureDesktop /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
- reg add "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System" /v EnableLUA /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
- schtasks /change /TN "\Microsoft\Windows\Defrag\ScheduledDefrag" /Disable
Other System Modifications
This Potentially Unwanted Application modifies the following registry entries:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\
System
ConsentPromptBehaviorAdmin = 0
(Note: The default value data of the said registry entry is 5.)
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\
System
PromptOnSecureDesktop = 0
(Note: The default value data of the said registry entry is 1.)
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\
System
EnableLUA = 0
(Note: The default value data of the said registry entry is 1.)
Propagation
This Potentially Unwanted Application does not have any propagation routine.
Backdoor Routine
This Potentially Unwanted Application does not have any backdoor routine.
Information Theft
This Potentially Unwanted Application does not have any information-stealing capability.
Other Details
This Potentially Unwanted Application does the following:
- Disables all power management timeouts for both AC and DC power states, preventing the system from entering sleep, standby, or hibernate modes
- Disables automatic system restart after a crash (BSOD) via WMI
- Disables User Account Control (UAC), allowing all programs to run with elevated privileges without user consent
- Disables the Windows scheduled defragmentation task
It does not exploit any vulnerability.
SOLUTION
Step 1
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 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
Restore this modified registry value
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.
Step 4
Scan your computer with your Trend Micro product to delete files detected as PUA.BAT.BypassUAC.RC. 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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