Modified by: Jennifer Gumban

ALIASES:

PWS:Win32/Zbot (Microsoft), Trojan.Win32.Yakes.depm (Kaspersky), ZBot.NAIF (Norman)

 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:
 INFORMATION EXPOSURE:

  • Threat Type: Spyware

  • Destructiveness: No

  • Encrypted: Yes

  • In the wild: Yes

  OVERVIEW

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

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 modifies the Internet Explorer Zone Settings.

As of this writing, the said sites are inaccessible.

It deletes the initially executed copy of itself.

  TECHNICAL DETAILS

File Size: 421,376 bytes
File Type: EXE
Memory Resident: Yes
Initial Samples Received Date: 06 Sep 2013
Payload: Connects to URLs/IPs, Downloads files

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%\{random folder name}
  • %Application Data%\Microsoft\Address Book

(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}"

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\
Services\SharedAccess\Parameters\
FirewallPolicy\StandardProfile
DisableNotifications = "0"

Web Browser Home Page and Search Page Modification

This spyware modifies the Internet Explorer Zone Settings.

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.)

Download Routine

This spyware connects to the following website(s) to download and execute a malicious file:

  • http://{BLOCKED}.{BLOCKED}.172.57

Trend Micro detects the dowloaded file as:

  • TROJ_CRILOCK.NS

As of this writing, the said sites are inaccessible.

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.

This spyware may also gather the following information from the affected system:

  • Data (URLs) on cookie files
  • 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. It 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 format {pseudorandom characters}.{extension}.

  SOLUTION

Minimum Scan Engine: 9.300
FIRST VSAPI PATTERN FILE: 10.260.06
FIRST VSAPI PATTERN DATE: 06 Sep 2013
VSAPI OPR PATTERN File: 10.261.00
VSAPI OPR PATTERN Date: 07 Sep 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 malware/grayware files dropped/downloaded by TSPY_ZBOT.VNA

Step 3

Scan your computer with your Trend Micro product and note files detected as TSPY_ZBOT.VNA

Step 4

Restart in Safe Mode

[ Learn More ]

Step 5

Delete this registry key

[ Learn More ]

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

Step 6

Delete this registry value

[ Learn More ]

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_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\SharedAccess\Parameters\FirewallPolicy\StandardProfile\AuthorizedApplications\List
    • %Windows%\explorer.exe = "%Windows%\explorer.exe:*:Enabled:Windows Explorer"
  • In HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\SharedAccess\Parameters\FirewallPolicy\StandardProfile\GloballyOpenPort\List
    • {port1}:UDP = "{port1}:UDP:*:Enabled:UDP {port1}"
  • In HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\SharedAccess\Parameters\FirewallPolicy\StandardProfile\GloballyOpenPort\List
    • {port2}:TCP = "{port2}:TCP:*:Enabled:TCP {port2}"
  • In HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\SharedAccess\Parameters\FirewallPolicy\StandardProfile
    • DisableNotifications = "0"

Step 7

Search and delete these folders

[ Learn More ]
Please make sure you check the Search Hidden Files and Folders checkbox in the More advanced options option to include all hidden folders in the search result.
  • %Application Data%\Microsoft\Address Book
  • %Application Data%\{random folder name}

Step 8

Search and delete this file

[ 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.
  • %Application Data%\{random file name2}.{random}

Step 9

Reset Internet privacy settings

[ Learn More ]

Step 10

Restart in normal mode and scan your computer with your Trend Micro product for files detected as TSPY_ZBOT.VNA. 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 11

The following created registry key(s) cannot be identified by the user 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 of the system registry. Note that the said key(s) do not have to be deleted since it won't be harmful to the system:

  • In HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft
    • {random}


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