Analysis by: Sabrina Lei Sioting

ALIASES:

Exploit.CVE2012-0158.16 (DrWeb), Win32/Exploit.CVE-2012-0158.AJ (Eset), RTF:CVE-2012-0158-R (GData), Exploit.Win32.CVE-2012 (Ikarus), Exploit.Win32.CVE-2012-0158.j (Kaspersky),

 PLATFORM:

Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003, Windows XP (32-bit, 64-bit), Windows Vista (32-bit, 64-bit), Windows 7 (32-bit, 64-bit)

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

  • Threat Type: Trojan

  • Destructiveness: No

  • Encrypted: Yes

  • In the wild: Yes

  OVERVIEW

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

This malware was involved in the Red October campaign, a series of attacks targeting diplomatic and government agencies. It drops malicious files onto the affected system and executes them, causing certain malicious routines to be exhibited.

To get a one-glance comprehensive view of the behavior of this Trojan, refer to the Threat Diagram shown below.

This Trojan arrives as an attachment to email messages spammed by other malware/grayware or malicious users. 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 executes the files it drops, prompting the affected system to exhibit the malicious routines they contain.

  TECHNICAL DETAILS

File Size: 576,512 bytes
File Type: XLS
Initial Samples Received Date: 15 Jan 2013
Payload: Drops files

Arrival Details

This Trojan arrives as an attachment to email messages spammed by other malware/grayware or malicious users.

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 Trojan drops the following non-malicious file:

  • %Program Files%\Windows NT\wsdktr.ltp
  • %User Temp%\{malware file name}.doc

(Note: %Program Files% is the default Program Files folder, usually C:\Program Files in Windows 2000, Server 2003, and XP (32-bit), Vista (32-bit), and 7 (32-bit), or C:\Program Files (x86) in Windows XP (64-bit), Vista (64-bit), and 7 (64-bit).. %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 and 7.)

Dropping Routine

This Trojan drops the following files:

  • %Program Files%\Windows NT\svchost.exe - detected as TROJ_KRYPTIK.ROC
  • %User Temp%\msmx21.exe - detected as TROJ_KRYPTIK.ROB

(Note: %Program Files% is the default Program Files folder, usually C:\Program Files in Windows 2000, Server 2003, and XP (32-bit), Vista (32-bit), and 7 (32-bit), or C:\Program Files (x86) in Windows XP (64-bit), Vista (64-bit), and 7 (64-bit).. %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 and 7.)

It takes advantage of the following software vulnerabilities to drop malicious files:

It executes the files it drops, prompting the affected system to exhibit the malicious routines they contain.

NOTES:
Upon execution, this Trojan opens its dropped non-malicious file %User Temp%\{malware file name}.doc in order to hide its malicious routines from the user.

  SOLUTION

Minimum Scan Engine: 9.300
FIRST VSAPI PATTERN FILE: 9.658.02
FIRST VSAPI PATTERN DATE: 15 Jan 2013
VSAPI OPR PATTERN File: 9.659.00
VSAPI OPR PATTERN Date: 16 Jan 2013

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

Remove the malware/grayware file dropped/downloaded by TROJ_OLEXP.J

  • TROJ_KRYPTIK.ROC
  • TROJ_KRYPTIK.ROB

Step 3

Restart in Safe Mode

[ Learn More ]

Step 4

Search and delete these files

[ 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.
  • %Program Files%\Windows NT\wsdktr.ltp
  • %User Temp%\{malware file name}.doc

Step 5

Restart in normal mode and scan your computer with your Trend Micro product for files detected as TROJ_OLEXP.J. 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.

Step 6

Download and apply these security patches Refrain from using these products until the appropriate patches have been installed. Trend Micro advises users to download critical patches upon release by vendors.


Did this description help? Tell us how we did.