Discovered: June 7, 2004
Updated: February 13, 2007 12:24:14 PM
Type: Worm
Systems Affected: Windows 2000, Windows NT, Windows XP
When W32.Gaobot.AQS is executed, it performs following actions:
- Copies itself to %System%\Wuamgrd16.exe.
Note: %System% is a variable. The worm locates the System folder and copies itself to that location. By default, this is C:\Windows\System (Windows 95/98/Me), C:\Winnt\System32 (Windows NT/2000), or C:\Windows\System32 (Windows XP).
- Adds the value:
"Microsoft Update"="wuamgrd16.exe"
to the registry keys:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\
RunServices
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
so that the worm runs when you start Windows.
- Attempts to steal the product ID for Windows, and the CD keys of these computer games:
- Battlefield 1942
- Battlefield 1942 (Road To Rome)
- Battlefield 1942 (Secret Weapons of WWII)
- Battlefield Vietnam
- Black and White
- Command and Conquer: Generals
- Command and Conquer: Generals (Zero Hour)
- Command and Conquer: Red Alert
- Command and Conquer: Red Alert 2
- Command and Conquer: Tiberian Sun
- Counter-Strike (Retail)
- FIFA 2002
- FIFA 2003
- Freedom Force
- Global Operations
- Gunman Chronicles
- Half-Life
- Hidden & Dangerous 2
- IGI 2: Covert Strike
- Industry Giant 2
- James Bond 007: Nightfire
- Legends of Might and Magic
- Medal of Honor: Allied Assault
- Medal of Honor: Allied Assault: Breakthrough
- Medal of Honor: Allied Assault: Spearhead
- NHL 2002
- NHL 2003
- NOX
- Nascar Racing 2002
- Nascar Racing 2003
- Need For Speed Hot Pursuit 2
- Need For Speed: Underground
- Neverwinter Nights
- Neverwinter Nights (Hordes of the Underdark)
- Neverwinter Nights (Shadows of Undrentide)
- Rainbow Six III RavenShield
- Shogun: Total War: Warlord Edition
- Soldier of Fortune II - Double Helix
- Soldiers Of Anarchy
- The Gladiators
- Unreal Tournament 2003
- Unreal Tournament 2004
- Terminates the following processes (most of which are associated with security software).
PandaAVEngine.exe
SysMonXP.exe
msconfig.exe
mscvb32.exe
navapw32.exe
navw32.exe
netstat.exe
regedit.exe
sysinfo.exe
wincfg32.exetaskmon.exe
zapro.exe
zonealarm.exe
- Attempts to end the following processes:
MSBLAST.exe
Penis32.exe
bbeagle.exe
d3dupdate.exe
i11r54n4.exe
irun4.exe
msblast.exe
rate.exe
ssate.exe
teekids.exe
winsys.exe
winupd.exe
most of which are associated with other threats.
- Connects to a remote IRC server and awaits commands from the remote attacker. This allows the attacker to perform the following actions on an infected system:
Run commands
Retrieve files via FTP and HTTP
Retrieve data from the registry
Restart the computer
List processes
Kill a particular process
Terminate Windows services
Perform HTTP, ICMP, SYN, and UDP floods
Retrieve email addresses stored on the computer
Retrieve a list of email addresses via HTTP
Retrieve given URLSniff HTTP, FTP, and IRC traffic
Steal the Windows product ID and the CD keys of various video games
- Attempts to propagate to other systems using the following methods:
- Attempts to copy itself to other computers through the following remote administrative SMB shares:
c$
d$
e$
print$
admin$
using the following user names and passwords, as well as any user names found using NetUserEnum():
User names:
- admin
- administrador
- administrat
- administrateur
- admins
- computer
- database
- db2
- dba
- default
- guest
- oracle
- owner
- root
- staff
- student
- teacher
- wwwadmin
Password:
- 007
- 1
- 12
- 123
- 1234
- 12345
- 123456
- 1234567
- 12345678
- 123456789
- 1234567890
- 2000
- 2001
- 2002
- 2003
- 2004
- access
- accounting
- accounts
- adm
- admin
- administrador
- administrat
- administrateur
- administrator
- admins
- asd
- backup
- bill
- bitch
- blank
- bob
- bob
- brian
- changeme
- chris
- cisco
- compaq
- control
- data
- database
- databasepass
- databasepassword
- db1
- db1234
- db2
- dbpass
- dbpassword
- default
- dell
- demo
- domain
- domainpass
- domainpassword
- eric
- exchange
- fred
- fuck
- george
- god
- guest
- hell
- hello
- home
- homeuser
- hp
- ian
- ibm
- internet
- internet
- intranet
- jen
- joe
- john
- kate
- katie
- lan
- lee
- linux
- login
- loginpass
- luke
- mail
- main
- mary
- mike
- neil
- nokia
- none
- null
- oem
- oeminstall
- oemuser
- office
- oracle
- orainstall
- outlook
- pass
- pass1234
- passwd
- password
- password1
- peter
- peter
- pwd
- qaz
- qwe
- qwerty
- root
- sa
- sam
- server
- sex
- siemens
- slut
- sql
- sqlpassoainstall
- staff
- student
- sue
- susan
- system
- teacher
- technical
- test
- unix
- user
- web
- win2000
- win2k
- win98
- windows
- winnt
- winpass
- winxp
- www
- xp
- zxc
- Upon successful authentication it copies itself to the remote system.
- Schedules a Network job to run the worm on the remote system.
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.
Writeup By: Yuhui Huang
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