Analysis by: Sabrina Lei Sioting

ALIASES:

Worm:Win32/Kufgal.B (Microsoft), Worm.Win32.Downloader.qd (Kaspersky), W32.Mikbaland (Symantec), Mal/Basine-A (Sophos), W32/AutoRun.XDF!tr (Fortinet),

 PLATFORM:

Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003

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

  • Threat Type: Worm

  • Destructiveness: No

  • Encrypted: Yes

  • In the wild: Yes

  OVERVIEW

Infection Channel: Propagates via removable drives, Downloaded from the Internet

This worm arrives by connecting affected removable drives to a system. 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 drops an AUTORUN.INF file to automatically execute the copies it drops when a user accesses the drives of an affected system.

However, as of this writing, the said sites are inaccessible.

  TECHNICAL DETAILS

File Size: 27,434 bytes
File Type: EXE
Memory Resident: Yes
Initial Samples Received Date: 08 Apr 2011
Payload: Drops files, Connects to URLs/IPs, Terminates processes

Arrival Details

This worm arrives by connecting affected removable drives to a system.

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 worm drops the following copies of itself into the affected system:

  • %System%\c0n1me.exe

(Note: %System% is the Windows system folder, which is usually C:\Windows\System on Windows 98 and ME, C:\WINNT\System32 on Windows NT and 2000, or C:\Windows\System32 on Windows XP and Server 2003.)

It adds the following mutexes to ensure that only one of its copies runs at any one time:

  • system

Other System Modifications

This worm adds the following registry entries as part of its installation routine:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options\
{application name}
Debugger = "%System%\c0n1me.exe"

Where {application name} may be any of the following:

  • 360rpt.EXE
  • 360safe.EXE
  • 360tray.EXE
  • ANTIARP.EXE
  • AVP.EXE
  • Ast.EXE
  • AutoRunKiller.EXE
  • AvMonitor.EXE
  • CCenter.EXE
  • Frameworkservice.EXE
  • GFUpd.EXE
  • GuardField.EXE
  • IceSword.EXE
  • Iparmor.EXE
  • KASARP.EXE
  • KRegEx.EXE
  • KVMonxp.kxp
  • KVSrvXP.EXE
  • KVWSC.EXE
  • Mmsk.EXE
  • Navapsvc.EXE
  • Nod32kui.EXE
  • RAS.EXE
  • Regedit.EXE
  • Runiep.EXE
  • VPC32.EXE
  • VPTRAY.EXE
  • WOPTILITIES.EXE
  • Wuauclt.EXE
  • ~.EXE

Propagation

This worm drops the following copy of itself in all physical and removable drives:

  • MSDOS.PIF

It drops an AUTORUN.INF file to automatically execute the copies it drops when a user accesses the drives of an affected system.

The said .INF file contains the following strings:

[autorun]
shell\open=´ò¿ª(&O)
shell\open\Command=MSDOS.PIF
shell\open\Default=1
shell\explore=×ÊÔ´¹ÜÀíÆ÷(&X)
shell\explore\command=MSDOS.PIF

Process Termination

This worm terminates the following services if found on the affected system:

  • McShield
  • KWhatchsvc
  • KPfwSvc
  • McAfee Framework
  • Norton AntiVirus Server

It terminates the following processes if found running in the affected system's memory:

  • VsTskMgr.exe
  • Runiep.exe
  • RAS.exe
  • UpdaterUI.exe
  • TBMon.exe
  • KASARP.exe
  • scan32.exe
  • VPC32.exe
  • VPTRAY.exe
  • ANTIARP.exe
  • KRegEx.exe
  • KvXP.kxp
  • kvsrvxp.kxp
  • kvsrvxp.exe
  • KVWSC.EXE
  • Iparmor.exe
  • 360rpt.EXE
  • CCenter.EXE
  • RAVMON.EXE
  • RAVMOND.EXE
  • GuardField.exe
  • Ravxp.exe
  • GFUpd.exe

Other Details

This worm attempts to access the following websites to download files, which are possibly malicious:

  • http://{BLOCKED}n8.com/dd/1.exe
  • http://{BLOCKED}n8.com/dd/10.exe
  • http://{BLOCKED}n8.com/dd/11.exe
  • http://{BLOCKED}n8.com/dd/12.exe
  • http://{BLOCKED}n8.com/dd/13.exe
  • http://{BLOCKED}n8.com/dd/14.exe
  • http://{BLOCKED}n8.com/dd/15.exe
  • http://{BLOCKED}n8.com/dd/16.exe
  • http://{BLOCKED}n8.com/dd/17.exe
  • http://{BLOCKED}n8.com/dd/2.exe
  • http://{BLOCKED}n8.com/dd/3.exe
  • http://{BLOCKED}n8.com/dd/4.exe
  • http://{BLOCKED}n8.com/dd/5.exe
  • http://{BLOCKED}n8.com/dd/6.exe
  • http://{BLOCKED}n8.com/dd/7.exe
  • http://{BLOCKED}n8.com/dd/8.exe
  • http://{BLOCKED}n8.com/dd/9.exe
  • http://{BLOCKED}n8.com/dd/ar.exe
  • http://{BLOCKED}n8.com/dd/do.exe
  • http://{BLOCKED}n8.com/dd/gz.exe
  • http://{BLOCKED}n8.com/dd/self.gif

However, as of this writing, the said sites are inaccessible.

NOTES:

The dropped AUTORUN.INF is detected as MAL_OTORUN1.

  SOLUTION

Minimum Scan Engine: 9.200

Step 1

For Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 users, before doing any scans, please make sure you disable System Restore to allow full scanning of your computer.

Step 2

Remove malware files dropped/downloaded by WORM_AUTORUN.SPS

Step 3

Identify and terminate files detected as WORM_AUTORUN.SPS

[ Learn More ]
  1. If the detected file is displayed in either Windows Task Manager or Process Explorer but you cannot delete it, restart your computer in safe mode. To do this, refer to this link for the complete steps.
  2. If the detected file is not displayed in either Windows Task Manager or Process Explorer, continue doing the next steps.

Step 4

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\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options\{application name}
    • Debugger = "%System%\c0n1me.exe"

Step 5

Scan your computer with your Trend Micro product to delete files detected as WORM_AUTORUN.SPS. 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.


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