Discovered: February 5, 2005
Updated: February 13, 2007 12:33:09 PM
Also Known As: Win32.Agobot.gen [Computer Ass, Backdoor.Win32.Agobot.rq [Kasp, W32/Gaobot.worm.gen.j [McAfee], WORM_AGOBOT.AII [Trend Micro]
Type: Worm
Systems Affected: Windows 2000, Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows Me, Windows NT, Windows XP
When W32.Gaobot.CII is executed it does the following:
- Creates the following copy of itself:
%System%\MlCROSOFT.EXE
Note: The filename is spelled with a lowercase "L" as the second letter.
- Adds the value:
"MlCROSOFT FEnR" = "MlCROSOFT.EXE"
to the registry subkeys:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\
RunServices
so that the worm runs when Windows starts.
- Creates a high load on the CPU, using 100% of the available resources.
- Deletes all files and folders with the string "sound" in their name.
- Connects to a remote IRC server on TCP port 6667 and awaits commands from a remote attacker.
This allows the attacker to perform any of the following actions on the compromised computer:
- Download and execute files
- Scan the network
- List, stop, and start processes
- Delete, create, and list files
- Launch Denial of Service (DoS) attacks
- Perform port redirection
- Start a SOCKS proxy server
- Start an FTP server
- Write to files
- Steal Windows product keys
- Retrieve data from the registry
- Retrieve AIM screen names
- Retrieve email addresses from MSN Messenger and the Windows Address Book
- Send emails using its own SMTP engine
- Opens two randomly chosen TCP ports. On one of the ports, it serves up a copy of itself to any client that connects to that port. On the other port, it runs an FTP server.
- Lowers security settings and attempts to block access to several security related Web sites. It does this by appending the following lines to the hosts file:
127.0.0.1 www.symantec.com
127.0.0.1 securityresponse.symantec.com
127.0.0.1 symantec.com
127.0.0.1 www.sophos.com
127.0.0.1 sophos.com
127.0.0.1 www.mcafee.com
127.0.0.1 mcafee.com
127.0.0.1 liveupdate.symantecliveupdate.com
127.0.0.1 www.viruslist.com
127.0.0.1 viruslist.com
127.0.0.1 viruslist.com
127.0.0.1 f-secure.com
127.0.0.1 www.f-secure.com
127.0.0.1 kaspersky.com
127.0.0.1 www.avp.com
127.0.0.1 www.kaspersky.com
127.0.0.1 avp.com
127.0.0.1 www.networkassociates.com
127.0.0.1 networkassociates.com
127.0.0.1 www.ca.com
127.0.0.1 ca.com
127.0.0.1 mast.mcafee.com
127.0.0.1 my-etrust.com
127.0.0.1 www.my-etrust.com
127.0.0.1 download.mcafee.com
127.0.0.1 dispatch.mcafee.com
127.0.0.1 secure.nai.com
127.0.0.1 nai.com
127.0.0.1 www.nai.com
127.0.0.1 update.symantec.com
127.0.0.1 updates.symantec.com
127.0.0.1 us.mcafee.com
127.0.0.1 liveupdate.symantec.com
127.0.0.1 customer.symantec.com
127.0.0.1 rads.mcafee.com
127.0.0.1 trendmicro.com
127.0.0.1 www.trendmicro.com
- Attempts to infect other computers by looking for back doors opened by other malicious threats and by exploiting the following vulnerabilities:
- Attempts to spread by authenticating to MSSQL Servers and network shares using a predetermined list of user names and passwords.
- Attempts to lower security settings by terminating the following processes, some of which may be security-related:
- _AVP32.EXE
- _AVPCC.EXE
- _AVPM.EXE
- AUTO-PROTECT.NAV80TRY.EXE
- F-AGOBOT.EXE
- GBMENU.EXE
- GBPOLL.EXE
- GENERICS.EXE
- GMT.EXE
- GUARD.EXE
- GUARDDOG.EXE
- HACKTRACERSETUP.EXE
- HBINST.EXE
- HBSRV.EXE
- HIJACKTHIS.EXE
- HOTACTIO.EXE
- HOTPATCH.EXE
- HTLOG.EXE
- HTPATCH.EXE
- HWPE.EXE
- HXDL.EXE
- HXIUL.EXE
- IAMAPP.EXE
- IAMSERV.EXE
- IAMSTATS.EXE
- IBMASN.EXE
- IBMAVSP.EXE
- ICLOAD95.EXE
- ICLOADNT.EXE
- ICMON.EXE
- ICSUPPNT.EXE
- IDLE.EXE
- IEDLL.EXE
- IEDRIVER.EXE
- IEXPLORER.EXE
- IFACE.EXE
- IFW2000.EXE
- INETLNFO.EXE
- INFUS.EXE
- INFWIN.EXE
- INIT.EXE
- INTDEL.EXE
- INTREN.EXE
- IOMON98.EXE
- IPARMOR.EXE
- IRIS.EXE
- ISASS.EXE
- ISRV95.EXE
- ISTSVC.EXE
- JAMMER.EXE
- JDBGMRG.EXE
- JEDI.EXE
- KAVLITE40ENG.EXE
- KAVPERS40ENG.EXE
- KAVPF.EXE
- KAZZA.EXE
- KEENVALUE.EXE
- KERIO-PF-213-EN-WIN.EXE
- KERIO-WRL-421-EN-WIN.EXE
- KERIO-WRP-421-EN-WIN.EXE
- KERNEL32.EXE
- KILLPROCESSSETUP161.EXE
- LAUNCHER.EXE
- LDNETMON.EXE
- LDPRO.EXE
- LDPROMENU.EXE
- LDSCAN.EXE
- LNETINFO.EXE
- LOADER.EXE
- LOCALNET.EXE
- LOCKDOWN.EXE
- LOCKDOWN2000.EXE
- LOOKOUT.EXE
- LORDPE.EXE
- LSETUP.EXE
- LUALL.EXE
- LUAU.EXE
- LUCOMSERVER.EXE
- LUINIT.EXE
- LUSPT.EXE
- MAPISVC32.EXE
- MCAGENT.EXE
- MCMNHDLR.EXE
- MCSHIELD.EXE
- MCTOOL.EXE
- MCUPDATE.EXE
- MCVSRTE.EXE
- MCVSSHLD.EXE
- MD.EXE
- MFIN32.EXE
- MFW2EN.EXE
- MFWENG3.02D30.EXE
- MGAVRTCL.EXE
- MGAVRTE.EXE
- MGHTML.EXE
- MGUI.EXE
- MINILOG.EXE
- MMOD.EXE
- MONITOR.EXE
- MOOLIVE.EXE
- MOSTAT.EXE
- MPFAGENT.EXE
- MPFSERVICE.EXE
- MPFTRAY.EXE
- MRFLUX.EXE
- MSAPP.EXE
- MSBB.EXE
- MSBLAST.EXE
- MSCACHE.EXE
- MSCCN32.EXE
- MSCMAN.EXE
- MSCONFIG.EXE
- MSDM.EXE
- MSDOS.EXE
- MSIEXEC16.EXE
- MSINFO32.EXE
- MSLAUGH.EXE
- MSMGT.EXE
- MSMSGRI32.EXE
- MSSMMC32.EXE
- MSSYS.EXE
- MSVXD.EXE
- MU0311AD.EXE
- MWATCH.EXE
- N32SCANW.EXE
- NAV.EXE
- NAVAP.NAVAPSVC.EXE
- NAVAPSVC.EXE
- NAVAPW32.EXE
- NAVDX.EXE
- NAVENGNAVEX15.NAVLU32.EXE
- NAVLU32.EXE
- NAVNT.EXE
- NAVSTUB.EXE
- NAVW32.EXE
- NAVWNT.EXE
- NC2000.EXE
- NCINST4.EXE
- NDD32.EXE
- NEOMONITOR.EXE
- NEOWATCHLOG.EXE
- NETARMOR.EXE
- NETD32.EXE
- NETINFO.EXE
- NETMON.EXE
- NETSCANPRO.EXE
- NETSPYHUNTER-1.2.EXE
- NETSTAT.EXE
- NETUTILS.EXE
- NISSERV.EXE
- NISUM.EXE
- NMAIN.EXE
- NOD32.EXE
- NORMIST.EXE
- NORTON_INTERNET_SECU_3.0_407.EXE
- NOTSTART.EXE
- NPF40_TW_98_NT_ME_2K.EXE
- NPFMESSENGER.EXE
- NPROTECT.EXE
- NPSCHECK.EXE
- NPSSVC.EXE
- NSCHED32.EXE
- NSSYS32.EXE
- NSTASK32.EXE
- NSUPDATE.EXE
- NT.EXE
- NTRTSCAN.EXE
- NTVDM.EXE
- NTXconfig.EXE
- NUI.EXE
- NUPGRADE.EXE
- NVARCH16.EXE
- NVC95.EXE
- NVSVC32.EXE
- NWINST4.EXE
- NWSERVICE.EXE
- NWTOOL16.EXE
- OLLYDBG.EXE
- ONSRVR.EXE
- OPTIMIZE.EXE
- OSTRONET.EXE
- OTFIX.EXE
- OUTPOST.EXE
- OUTPOSTINSTALL.EXE
- OUTPOSTPROINSTALL.EXE
- PADMIN.EXE
- PANIXK.EXE
- PATCH.EXE
- PAVCL.EXE
- PAVPROXY.EXE
- PAVSCHED.EXE
- PAVW.EXE
- PCC2002S902.EXE
- PCC2K_76_1436.EXE
- PCCIOMON.EXE
- PCCNTMON.EXE
- PCCWIN97.EXE
- PCCWIN98.EXE
- PCDSETUP.EXE
- PCFWALLICON.EXE
- PCIP10117_0.EXE
- PCSCAN.EXE
- PDSETUP.EXE
- PENIS.EXE
- PERISCOPE.EXE
- PERSFW.EXE
- PERSWF.EXE
- PF2.EXE
- PFWADMIN.EXE
- PGMONITR.EXE
- PINGSCAN.EXE
- PLATIN.EXE
- POP3TRAP.EXE
- POPROXY.EXE
- POPSCAN.EXE
- PORTDETECTIVE.EXE
- PORTMONITOR.EXE
- POWERSCAN.EXE
- PPINUPDT.EXE
- PPTBC.EXE
- PPVSTOP.EXE
- PRIZESURFER.EXE
- PRMT.EXE
- PRMVR.EXE
- PROCDUMP.EXE
- PROCESSMONITOR.EXE
- PROCEXPLORERV1.0.EXE
- PROGRAMAUDITOR.EXE
- PROPORT.EXE
- PROTECTX.EXE
- PSPF.EXE
- PURGE.EXE
- PUSSY.EXE
- PVIEW95.EXE
- QCONSOLE.EXE
- QSERVER.EXE
- RAPAPP.EXE
- RAV7.EXE
- RAV7WIN.EXE
- RAV8WIN32ENG.EXE
- RAY.EXE
- RB32.EXE
- RCSYNC.EXE
- REALMON.EXE
- REGED.EXE
- REGEDIT.EXE
- REGEDT32.EXE
- RESCUE.EXE
- RESCUE32.EXE
- RRGUARD.EXE
- RSHELL.EXE
- RTVSCAN.EXE
- RTVSCN95.EXE
- RULAUNCH.EXE
- RUN32DLL.EXE
- RUNDLL.EXE
- RUNDLL16.EXE
- RUXDLL32.EXE
- SAFEWEB.EXE
- SAHAGENT.EXE
- SAVE.EXE
- SAVENOW.EXE
- SBSERV.EXE
- SC.EXE
- SCAM32.EXE
- SCAN32.EXE
- SCAN95.EXE
- SCANPM.EXE
- SCRSCAN.EXE
- SCRSVR.EXE
- SCVHOST.EXE
- SD.EXE
- SERV95.EXE
- SERVICE.EXE
- SERVLCE.EXE
- SERVLCES.EXE
- SETUP_FLOWPROTECTOR_US.EXE
- SETUPVAMEEVAL.EXE
- SFC.EXE
- SGSSFW32.EXE
- SH.EXE
- SHELLSPYINSTALL.EXE
- SHN.EXE
- SHOWBEHIND.EXE
- SMC.EXE
- SMS.EXE
- SMSS32.EXE
- SOAP.EXE
- SOFI.EXE
- SPERM.EXE
- SPF.EXE
- SPHINX.EXE
- SPOLER.EXE
- SPOOLCV.EXE
- SPOOLSV32.EXE
- SPYXX.EXE
- SREXE.EXE
- SRNG.EXE
- SS3EDIT.EXE
- SSG_4104.EXE
- SSGRATE.EXE
- ST2.EXE
- START.EXE
- STCLOADER.EXE
- SUPFTRL.EXE
- SUPPORT.EXE
- SUPPORTER5.EXE
- SVC.EXE
- SVCHOSTC.EXE
- SVCHOSTS.EXE
- SVSHOST.EXE
- SWEEP95.EXE
- SWEEPNET.SWEEPSRV.SYS.SWNETSUP.EXE
- SYMPROXYSVC.EXE
- SYMTRAY.EXE
- SYSEDIT.EXE
- SYSTEM.EXE
- SYSTEM32.EXE
- SYSUPD.EXE
- TASKMG.EXE
- TASKMO.EXE
- TASKMON.EXE
- TAUMON.EXE
- TBSCAN.EXE
- TC.EXE
- TCA.EXE
- TCM.EXE
- TDS-3.EXE
- TDS2-98.EXE
- TDS2-NT.EXE
- TEEKIDS.EXE
- TFAK.EXE
- TFAK5.EXE
- TGBOB.EXE
- TITANIN.EXE
- TITANINXP.EXE
- TRACERT.EXE
- TRICKLER.EXE
- TRJSCAN.EXE
- TRJSETUP.EXE
- TROJANTRAP3.EXE
- TSADBOT.EXE
- TVMD.EXE
- TVTMD.EXE
- UNDOBOOT.EXE
- UPDAT.EXE
- UPDATE.EXE
- UPGRAD.EXE
- UTPOST.EXE
- VBCMSERV.EXE
- VBCONS.EXE
- VBUST.EXE
- VBWIN9X.EXE
- VBWINNTW.EXE
- VCSETUP.EXE
- VET32.EXE
- VET95.EXE
- VETTRAY.EXE
- VFSETUP.EXE
- VIR-HELP.EXE
- VIRUSMDPERSONALFIREWALL.EXE
- VNLAN300.EXE
- VNPC3000.EXE
- VPC32.EXE
- VPC42.EXE
- VPFW30S.EXE
- VPTRAY.EXE
- VSCAN40.EXE
- VSCENU6.02D30.EXE
- VSCHED.EXE
- VSECOMR.EXE
- VSHWIN32.EXE
- VSISETUP.EXE
- VSMAIN.EXE
- VSMON.EXE
- VSSTAT.EXE
- VSWIN9XE.EXE
- VSWINNTSE.EXE
- VSWINPERSE.EXE
- W32DSM89.EXE
- W9X.EXE
- WATCHDOG.EXE
- WEBDAV.EXE
- WEBSCANX.EXE
- WEBTRAP.EXE
- WFINDV32.EXE
- WGFE95.EXE
- WHOSWATCHINGME.EXE
- WIMMUN32.EXE
- WIN-BUGSFIX.EXE
- WIN32.EXE
- WIN32US.EXE
- WINACTIVE.EXE
- WINDOW.EXE
- WINDOWS.EXE
- WININETD.EXE
- WININIT.EXE
- WININITX.EXE
- WINLOGIN.EXE
- WINMAIN.EXE
- WINNET.EXE
- WINPPR32.EXE
- WINRECON.EXE
- WINSERVN.EXE
- WINSSK32.EXE
- WINSTART.EXE
- WINSTART001.EXE
- WINTSK32.EXE
- WINUPDATE.EXE
- WKUFIND.EXE
- WNAD.EXE
- WNT.EXE
- WRADMIN.EXE
- WRCTRL.EXE
- WSBGATE.EXE
- WUPDATER.EXE
- WUPDT.EXE
- WYVERNWORKSFIREWALL.EXE
- XPF202EN.EXE
- ZAPRO.EXE
- ZAPSETUP3001.EXE
- ZATUTOR.EXE
- ZONALM2601.EXE
- ZONEALARM.EXE
- Sends HTTP GET request messages to the following hosts on TCP port 80 to measure connection speed:
- yahoo.co.jp
- www.nifty.com
- www.d1asia.com
- www.st.lib.keio.ac.jp
- www.lib.nthu.edu.tw
- www.above.net
- www.level3.com
- nitro.ucsc.edu
- www.burst.net
- www.cogentco.com
- www.rit.edu
- www.nocster.com
- www.verio.com
- www.stanford.edu
- www.xo.net
- de.yahoo.com
- www.belwue.de
- www.switch.ch
- www.1und1.de
- verio.fr
- www.utwente.nl
- www.schlund.net
- Attempts to steal CD keys for a number of computer games.
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: Fergal Ladley
Technorati
Digg
Delicious
Reddit
StumbleUpon
Yahoo Buzz
Twitter
Facebook
Newsvine
