W32.AJM.Worm

When W32.AJM.Worm is executed, it does the following:

It copies itself to the C:\%system% folder. The file name is randomly-chosen from a list carried by the worm. Some of the file names contain Korean characters. Some examples of the file names are:

• User32Rem.exe
• UserGDL.exe
• BihUpdate.exe
• SysRtw32.exe
• Win32Dll.exe
• MsCrt32.exe
• Temp32.exe    

It then adds a value that refers to this file in the registry key

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

This causes the worm to run when you restart Windows.

The worm retrieves email addresses from all unread email messages. It then uses Microsoft Outlook to send itself to all email addresses it finds. The subject line and message of the email are written in Korean. The email message also contains the text

....GO Go 2002 World Cup Corea!!

The attachment name may also contain Korean characters. Some possible attachment names are

• Heddink.exe
• Go Korea.exe
• RedDevil.exe
• WorldCup.exe
• 2002.exe

If the day of the week is Thursday, the worm displays a message. The text is written in Korean. The title of the message is,

Message From A

If the month is June, it displays a message each time that it runs. The text contains some Korean characters and

Here We Go! World Cup Corea!

If the month is December, it restores all maximized windows to their previous size, and it opens a window.

If the month is November, It swaps the mouse button each time that it runs.

If the date is July 7th, it keeps on setting the cursor to a particular position.

If the date is January 1st, it confines the cursor to a rectangular area on the screen.

Recommendations

Symantec Security Response encourages all users and administrators to adhere to the following basic security "best practices":

• Use a firewall to block all incoming connections from the Internet to services that should not be publicly available. By default, you should deny all incoming connections and only allow services you explicitly want to offer to the outside world.
• Enforce a password policy. Complex passwords make it difficult to crack password files on compromised computers. This helps to prevent or limit damage when a computer is compromised.
• Ensure that programs and users of the computer use the lowest level of privileges necessary to complete a task. When prompted for a root or UAC password, ensure that the program asking for administration-level access is a legitimate application.
• Disable AutoPlay to prevent the automatic launching of executable files on network and removable drives, and disconnect the drives when not required. If write access is not required, enable read-only mode if the option is available.
• Turn off file sharing if not needed. If file sharing is required, use ACLs and password protection to limit access. Disable anonymous access to shared folders. Grant access only to user accounts with strong passwords to folders that must be shared.
• Turn off and remove unnecessary services. By default, many operating systems install auxiliary services that are not critical. These services are avenues of attack. If they are removed, threats have less avenues of attack.
• If a threat exploits one or more network services, disable, or block access to, those services until a patch is applied.
• Always keep your patch levels up-to-date, especially on computers that host public services and are accessible through the firewall, such as HTTP, FTP, mail, and DNS services.
• Configure your email server to block or remove email that contains file attachments that are commonly used to spread threats, such as .vbs, .bat, .exe, .pif and .scr files.
• Isolate compromised computers quickly to prevent threats from spreading further. Perform a forensic analysis and restore the computers using trusted media.
• Train employees not to open attachments unless they are expecting them. Also, do not execute software that is downloaded from the Internet unless it has been scanned for viruses. Simply visiting a compromised Web site can cause infection if certain browser vulnerabilities are not patched.
• If Bluetooth is not required for mobile devices, it should be turned off. If you require its use, ensure that the device's visibility is set to "Hidden" so that it cannot be scanned by other Bluetooth devices. If device pairing must be used, ensure that all devices are set to "Unauthorized", requiring authorization for each connection request. Do not accept applications that are unsigned or sent from unknown sources.
• For further information on the terms used in this document, please refer to the Security Response glossary.

Summary