TSPY_URSNIF.AUSIQQ
TrojanSpy:Win32/Ursnif (Microsoft); Trojan-Spy.Win32.Ursnif.uaf (Kaspersky); Win32.Trojan-spy.Ursnif.Akfg (Tencent)
Windows

Threat Type: Trojan Spy
Destructiveness: No
Encrypted: Yes
In the wild: Yes
OVERVIEW
This Trojan Spy 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 downloaded from remote sites by other malware.
It connects to certain websites to send and receive information. It deletes the initially executed copy of itself.
TECHNICAL DETAILS
Arrival Details
This Trojan Spy 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 downloaded from remote site(s) by the following malware:
Installation
This Trojan Spy drops the following copies of itself into the affected system and executes them:
- %Application Data%\Microsoft\{string1}{string2}\{string1}{string2}.exe
where:
{string1} = first four letters of a dll file under System directory
{string2} = last four letters of a dll file under System directory
(Note: %Application Data% is the Application Data folder, where it usually is C:\Documents and Settings\{user name}\Application Data on Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003, and Windows XP (32- and 64-bit); C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Roaming 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.)
It drops and executes the following files:
- %User Temp%\{random folder name}\{random filename}.bat ← use to delete itself; 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.)
It creates the following folders:
- %Application Data%\Microsoft\{string1}{string2}
where:
{string1} = first four letters of a dll file under System directory
{string2} = last four letters of a dll file under System directory
(Note: %Application Data% is the Application Data folder, where it usually is C:\Documents and Settings\{user name}\Application Data on Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003, and Windows XP (32- and 64-bit); C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Roaming 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.)
It injects codes into the following process(es):
- explorer.exe
Autostart Technique
This Trojan Spy adds the following registry entries to enable its automatic execution at every system startup:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
{string1}{string2} = "%Application Data%\Microsoft\{string1}{string2}\{string1}{string2}.exe"
Other System Modifications
This Trojan Spy modifies the following file(s):
- %Application Data%\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\{profile folder}\prefs.js ← appends "user pref("network.http.spdy.enabled", false);"
(Note: %Application Data% is the Application Data folder, where it usually is C:\Documents and Settings\{user name}\Application Data on Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003, and Windows XP (32- and 64-bit); C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Roaming 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.)
It adds the following registry keys:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\AppDataLow\
Software\Microsoft\{GUID}
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\AppDataLow\
Software\Microsoft\{GUID}\
Vars
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\AppDataLow\
Software\Microsoft\{GUID}\
Files
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\AppDataLow\
Software\Microsoft\{GUID}\
Run
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\AppDataLow\
Software\Microsoft\{GUID}\
Config
It adds the following registry entries:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\AppDataLow\
Software\Microsoft\{GUID}
{UID} = "{hex value}"
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\AppDataLow\
Software\Microsoft\{GUID}
{Value Name} = "{hex value}"
where {Value Name} may be any of the following:
- Main
- Block
- Temp
- Client
- Ini
- Keys
- Scr
- LastTask
- LastConfig
- CrHook
- OpHook
- Exec
- TorCrc
- TorClient
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
IAM
Default LDAP Account = "account{UID}.oeaccount"
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
IAM
Server ID = "2"
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings
EnableSPDY3_0 = "0"
Dropping Routine
This Trojan Spy drops the following files wherein it saves the information it gathers:
- %User Temp%\{random filename}.bin
- %User Temp%\{random filename}.bi1 - contains the user's IP Address
(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.)
Information Theft
This Trojan Spy gathers the following data:
- Computer Name
- Digital Certificates
- Cookies
- Keyboard Logs
- Clipboard Logs
- Captured Screenshot
- Email Credentials
- Running processes and services
- Installed device drivers
- Installed Programs
- System Information (Please see notes for more details)
- IP Address
Stolen Information
This Trojan Spy sends the gathered information via HTTP POST to the following URL:
- http://de.{BLOCKED}tbytori.com/images/{random path}.{bmp}
Other Details
This Trojan Spy connects to the following URL(s) to get the affected system's IP address:
- myip.opendns.com
- resolver1.opendns.com
It connects to the following website to send and receive information:
- http://de.{BLOCKED}tbytori.com/images/{random path}.{gif/jpeg}
- http://{BLOCKED}rotection.site/t{32/64}.bin
It does the following:
- Saves stolen information in a file and then uploads it
- Monitors Internet browsing activities
- Hooks APIs of target process
- Disables SPDY protocol in Mozilla Firefox
- Executes commands to gather information:
- systeminfo.exe
- tasklist.exe /SVC
- driverquery.exe
- reg.exe query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall"
- cmd /C "nslookup myip.opendns.com resolver1.opendns.com > %User Temp%\{random filename}.bi1"
- Uninstall itself
- Terminates itself if it runs under a virtual machine or sandbox by checking the following strings against Plug and Play devices:
- vbox
- qemu
- vmware
- virtual hd
It deletes the initially executed copy of itself
NOTES:
The file systeminfo.exe returns the following system information:
- Host Name
- OS Name, Version, Manufacturer
- Configuration and Build Type
- Registered Owner and Organization
- Product ID
- Original Install Date
- System Up Time
- System Manufacturer, Model and type
- Processor(s)
- BIOS version
- Windows and System directory
- Boot Device
- System and Input Locale
- Time Zone
- Total and Available Memory
- Virtual Memory information (Max, Available, In Use)
- Page file locations
- Domain
- Logon server
- Hotfix(es)
- Network card(s)
The malware looks for %System Root%\p9DOBgnAuKLN3hP.txt. If found, it will perform its routine in Developer's Mode.
SOLUTION
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
Restart in Safe Mode
Step 4
Delete this 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.
- In HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
- {string1}{string2} = "%Application Data%\Microsoft\{string1}{string2}\{string1}{string2}.exe"
- {string1}{string2} = "%Application Data%\Microsoft\{string1}{string2}\{string1}{string2}.exe"
- In HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\IAM
- Default LDAP Account = "account{UID}.oeaccount"
- Default LDAP Account = "account{UID}.oeaccount"
- In HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\IAM
- Server ID = "2"
- Server ID = "2"
- In HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings
- EnableSPDY3_0 = "0"
- EnableSPDY3_0 = "0"
Step 5
Delete this registry key
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.
- In HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\AppDataLow\Software\Microsoft
- {GUID}
- {GUID}
Step 6
Remove malware/grayware files that dropped/downloaded TSPY_URSNIF.AUSIQQ. (Note: Please skip this step if the threats listed below have already been removed.)
Step 7
Search and delete these files
- %User Temp%\{random folder name}\{random filename}.bat
- %User Temp%\{random filename}.bin
- %User Temp%\{random filename}.bi1
Step 8
Restart in normal mode and scan your computer with your Trend Micro product for files detected as TSPY_URSNIF.AUSIQQ. 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 9
Restore this file from backup only Microsoft-related files will be restored. If this malware/grayware also deleted files related to programs that are not from Microsoft, please reinstall those programs on you computer again.
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