TSPY_ZBOT.PQP
Trojan horse Zbot.AGQ (AVG), Trojan-Spy.Win32.Zbot.lwps (Kaspersky)
Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003, Windows XP (32-bit, 64-bit), Windows Vista (32-bit, 64-bit), Windows 7 (32-bit, 64-bit)

Threat Type: Spyware
Destructiveness: No
Encrypted: Yes
In the wild: Yes
OVERVIEW
This spyware arrives on a system as a file dropped by other malware or as a file downloaded unknowingly by users when visiting malicious sites.
It deletes the initially executed copy of itself.
TECHNICAL DETAILS
Arrival Details
This spyware 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 spyware drops the following copies of itself into the affected system:
- %Application Data%\{random folder name}\{random file name1}.exe
(Note: %Application Data% is the current user's Application Data folder, which is usually C:\Documents and Settings\{user name}\Application Data on Windows 2000, XP, and Server 2003, or C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Roaming on Windows Vista and 7.)
It creates the following folders:
- %Application Data%\Microsoft\Address Book
- %Application Data%\{random folder name}
(Note: %Application Data% is the current user's Application Data folder, which is usually C:\Documents and Settings\{user name}\Application Data on Windows 2000, XP, and Server 2003, or C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Roaming on Windows Vista and 7.)
It adds the following mutexes to ensure that only one of its copies runs at any one time:
- Global\{GUID}
- Local\{GUID
It stays memory-resident by creating remote threads:
- %Windows%\explorer.exe
(Note: %Windows% is the Windows folder, which is usually C:\Windows.)
Autostart Technique
This spyware adds the following registry entries to enable its automatic execution at every system startup:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
{random} = "%Application Data%\{random folder name}\{random file name1}.exe"
Other System Modifications
This spyware adds the following registry keys:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
WAB
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
WAB\WAB4
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
WAB\WAB4\Wab File Name
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
{random}
It adds the following registry entries:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
WAB\WAB4
OlkContactRefresh = "0"
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
WAB\WAB4
OlkFolderRefresh = "0"
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
WAB\WAB4\Wab File Name
(Default) = "%Application Data%\Microsoft\Address Book\{user name}.wab"
It creates the following registry entry(ies) to bypass Windows Firewall:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\
Services\SharedAccess\Parameters\
FirewallPolicy\StandardProfile\AuthorizedApplications\
List
%Windows%\explorer.exe = "%Windows%\explorer.exe:*:Enabled:Windows Explorer"
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\
Services\SharedAccess\Parameters\
FirewallPolicy\StandardProfile\GloballyOpenPorts\
List
{port1}:UDP = "{port1}:UDP:*:Enabled:UDP {port1}"
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\
Services\SharedAccess\Parameters\
FirewallPolicy\StandardProfile\GloballyOpenPorts\
List
{port2}:TCP = "{port2}:TCP:*:Enabled:TCP {port2}"
Dropping Routine
This spyware drops the following files:
- %Application Data%\Microsoft\Address Book\{user name}.wab
- %User Temp%\tmp{random}.bat - Used to delete its initially executed copy
- %Application Data%\{random file name2}.{random}
(Note: %Application Data% is the current user's Application Data folder, which is usually C:\Documents and Settings\{user name}\Application Data on Windows 2000, XP, and Server 2003, or C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Roaming on Windows Vista and 7.. %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.)
Other Details
This spyware connects to the following URL(s) to check for an Internet connection:
- http://www.google.com
- http://www.bing.com
It deletes the initially executed copy of itself
NOTES:
The configuration file may contain URLs where it downloads an updated copy of itself and where it sends its gathered information. It may also contain URLs of its target online banking and finance-related sites from where it steals the information.
It may also gather the following information from the affected system:
- Data on Cookie files (URLs)
- Email-related information such as account names, email addresses, passwords,
- server data, and server port
- Email information stored in the user’s Windows Address Book (WAB) file
This spyware connects to random generated IP addresses.
This spyware sends out DNS queries to a randomized domain name with the following extensions:
- .info
- .com
- .biz
- .org
- .net
- .ru
It connects to randomized domain name with the following format:
- {pseudorandom characters}.{extension}
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
Scan your computer with your Trend Micro product and note files detected as TSPY_ZBOT.PQP
Step 3
Restart in Safe Mode
Step 4
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\Microsoft
- WAB
- WAB
- In HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft
- {random}
- {random}
Step 5
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
- {random} = "%Application Data%\{random folder name}\{random file name}.exe"
- {random} = "%Application Data%\{random folder name}\{random file name}.exe"
- In HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\SharedAccess\Parameters\FirewallPolicy\StandardProfile\AuthorizedApplications\List
- %Windows%\explorer.exe = "%Windows%\explorer.exe:*:Enabled:Windows Explorer"
- %Windows%\explorer.exe = "%Windows%\explorer.exe:*:Enabled:Windows Explorer"
- In HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\SharedAccess\Parameters\FirewallPolicy\StandardProfile\GloballyOpenPorts\List
- {port1}:UDP = "{port1}:UDP:*:Enabled:UDP {port1}"
- {port1}:UDP = "{port1}:UDP:*:Enabled:UDP {port1}"
- In HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\SharedAccess\Parameters\FirewallPolicy\StandardProfile\GloballyOpenPorts\List
- {port2}:TCP = "{port2}:TCP:*:Enabled:TCP {port2}"
- {port2}:TCP = "{port2}:TCP:*:Enabled:TCP {port2}"
Step 6
Search and delete this folder
- %Application Data%\Microsoft\Address Book
- %Application Data%\{random folder name}
Step 7
Search and delete these files
- %Application Data%\{random file name2}.{random}
Step 8
Restart in normal mode and scan your computer with your Trend Micro product for files detected as TSPY_ZBOT.PQP. 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.
NOTES:
The created registry key HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\{random} cannot be identified by the users since there are no reference values in the created key. The only way it can be identified is by comparing the present keys with a backup if the users have one. Note that the key,{random} need not to be deleted since it won't cause the user system any harm.
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