W32.Bobax.AA@mm

1. Checks the current date on the compromised computer. The virus uninstalls itself, if the date is later than September 15th, 2005, 12:05 a.m.
   
   
2. Creates the mutex named "aaqeiuhasdkjhd", so that only one instance of the threat runs on the compromised computer.
   
   
3. Ends the following processes, some of which may be security-related:
   
   
   • ATUPDATER.EXE
   • AUPDATE.EXE
   • AUTODOWN.EXE
   • AUTOTRACE.EXE
   • AUTOUPDATE.EXE
   • AVPUPD.EXE
   • AVWUPD32.EXE
   • AVXQUAR.EXE
   • b055262c.dll
   • backdoor.rbot.gen.exe
   • backdoor.rbot.gen_(17).exe
   • CFIAUDIT.EXE
   • dailin.exe
   • DRWEBUPW.EXE
   • F-AGOBOT.EXE
   • GfxAcc.exe
   • HIJACKTHIS.EXE
   • IAOIN.EXE
   • ICSSUPPNT.EXE
   • ICSUPP95.EXE
   • Lien Van de Kelderrr.exe
   • LUALL.EXE
   • MCUPDATE.EXE
   • msnmsgr.exe
   • msssss.exe
   • NUPGRADE.EXE
   • rasmngr.exe
   • RAVMOND.exe
   • RB.EXE
   • Systra.exe
   • taskmanagr.exe
   • UPDATE.EXE
   • VisualGuard.exe
   • wfdmgr.exe
   • WIN32.EXE
   • WIN32US.EXE
   • WINACTIVE.EXE
   • WIN-BUGSFIX.EXE
   • WINDOW.EXE
   • WINDOWS.EXE
   • WININETD.EXE
   • WININIT.EXE
   • WININITX.EXE
   • WINLOGIN.EXE
   • WINMAIN.EXE
   • WINPPR32.EXE
   • WINRECON.EXE
   • winshost.exe
   • WINSSK32.EXE
   • WINSTART.EXE
   • WINSTART001.EXE
   • WINTSK32.EXE
   • WINUPDATE.EXE
   • WKUFIND.EXE
   • WNAD.EXE
   • WNT.EXE
   • wowpos32.exe
   • WRADMIN.EXE
   • WRCTRL.EXE
   • wuamga.exe
   • wuamgrd.exe
   • WUPDATER.EXE
   • WUPDT.EXE
   • WYVERNWORKSFIREWALL.EXE
   • XPF202EN.EXE
   • ZAPRO.EXE
   • ZAPSETUP3001.EXE
   • ZATUTOR.EXE
   • ZONALM2601.EXE
   • ZONEALARM.EXE
   • _AVP32.EXE
   • _AVPCC.EXE
   • _AVPM.EXE
     
     
4. Creates the following files:
   
   • %Windir%\services.exe
   • %Windir%\msdefr.exe
   • c:\Autorun.inf
     
     Note: %Windir% is a variable that refers to the Windows installation folder. By default, this is C:\Windows or C:\Winnt.
     
     
5. Adds the value:
   
   "RPCserv32g" = "%Windir%\services.exe"
   
   to the registry subkey:
   
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
   
   so that the risk runs every time Windows starts.
   
   
6. Adds the value:
   
   "fdfg" = [NUMBER]
   
   to the registry subkey:
   
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer
   
   to mark its current mass-mailing stage.
   
   
7. Searches for email addresses in the Windows Address Book, Internet Explorer's cache folder, and the %Temp% folder in order to send itself through email.
   
   Note: %Temp% is a variable that refers to the Windows temporary folder. By default, this is C:\Windows\TEMP (Windows 95/98/Me/XP) or C:\WINNT\Temp (Windows NT/2000).
   
   
8. Obtains more email addresses by generating search queries using a GET request to www.google.com and www.accoona.com.
   
   
9. Varies the format of the malicious email from one instance to another, as it uses various social engineering techniques to create the following email characteristics:
   
   Subject:
   One of the following:
   
   
   • [BLANK]
   • RE:
   • Accounts department
   • Ahtung!
   • Camila
   • Daily activity report
   • Ello!
   • Flayers among us
   • Freedom for everyone
   • From Hair-cutter
   • From me
   • Greet the day
   • Hardware devices price-list
   • Hello my friend
   • Hi!
   • Jenny
   • Jessica
   • Looking for the report
   • Maria
   • Melissa
   • Monthly incomings summary
   • New Price-list
   • Price
   • Price list
   • Price-list
   • Pricelist
   • Proclivity to servitude
   • Registration confirmation
   • The account
   • The employee
   • The summary
   • USA government abolishes the capital punishment
   • Weekly activity report
   • Well...
   • You are dismissed
   • You really love me? he he
   • Your Message could not be delivered
   • Message could not be delivered
   • Mail System Error /- Returned Mail
   • Delivery reports about your e/-mail
   • Returned mail: see transcript for details
   • Returned mail: Data format error
   • hello
   • hi
   • error
   • status
   • test
   • report
   • delivery
   • failed
     
     
     The worm uses a complex algorithm to generate a wide range of message bodies. Three formats have been reported and are described below. The possible variant email characteristics are separated with a pipe symbol within each format:
     
     Format 1:
     [SALUTATION]
     [REPORT 1] | [REPORT 2]
     [FAKE INSTRUCTIONS] | [FAILED DELIVERY INTRO] [FAILED DELIVERY REASON] | [FATAL ERROR]
     
     [SALUTATION]:
     
     
   • Dear user [ACCOUNT] of [DOMAIN],
     mail system administrator | mail server administrator | administration
     of [DOMAIN] would like to
     inform you | inform you that | let you know that | let you know the following
     
     [REPORT 1]:
     
     
   • We have
     detected | found | received rep [REMOVED] ring
     this | the last | the recent
     week
     
     [REPORT 2]:
     
     
   • We suspect that
     Probably, | Most likely | Obviously,
     your computer
     has been | was
     compromised | infected | infected by a recent virus
     and now
     runs a | contains a
     trojan | trojaned | hidden
     proxy server
     
     [FAKE INSTRUCTIONS]:
     
     
   • Please | We recommend | We recommend that you | We recommend you to
     follow our | follow the | follow
     instruction | instructions
     in the
     attachment | attached file | attached text file
     in order to keep your computer safe.
     Virtually yours | Sincerely yours | Best wishes | Best regards | Have a  nice day
     [DOMAIN] user team | [DOMAIN] tehnical team | [DOMAIN] support team | The [DOMAIN] support team
     
     [FAILED DELIVERY INTRO]:
     
     
   • The | This | Your
     message was
     undeliverable | not delivered
     due to the following reason(s):
     
     [FAILED DELIVERY REASON]:
     One of the following:
     
     
   • Your message
     was not | could not be
     delivered because the destination
     computer | server
     was not reachable | was unreachable
     within the allowed queue period. The amount of time
     a message is queued before it is returned depends on local configura-
     tion parameters.
     
   • Most likely there is a network problem that prevented delivery, but
     it is also possible that the computer is turned off, or does not
     have a mail system running right now.
     
   • Your message
     was not | could not be
     delivered within 3 days:
     Mail server | Host
     [RANDOM IP ADDRESS] is not responding.
     
   • The following recipients did not receive this message: [EMAIL]
     
   • The following recipients could not receive this message: [EMAIL]
     
     [FATAL ERROR]:
     
     
   • The original message was received at [DATE] from [RANDOM IP ADDRESS]
     ----- The following addresses had permanent fatal errors -----
     [EMAIL]
     [FAKE MAIL TRANSCRIPT]
     
     Format 2:
     One of the following:
     
     
   • Cya
   • Empty
   • Everything inside the attach
   • Look it through
   • Subj
   • Request
   • Response
     
     
     Format 3:
     [PHRASE] [FAKE AV MESSAGE]
     
     [PHRASE]
     One of the following:
     
     
   • Attached some pics that i found
   • Check this out :-)
   • Hello,
   • I was going through my album, and look what I found..
   • Long time! Check this out!
   • Osama Bin Laden Captured.
   • Remember this?
   • Saddam Hussein - Attempted Escape, Shot dead
   • Secret!
   • Testing
     
     [FAKE AV MESSAGE]
     One of the following:
     
     
   • +++ Attachment: No Virus found
   • +++ F-Secure AntiVirus - You are protected
   • +++ Norman AntiVirus - You are protected
   • +++ Norton AntiVirus - You are protected
   • +++ Panda AntiVirus - You are protected
   • +++ www.f-secure.com
   • +++ www.norman.com
   • +++ www.pandasoftware.com
   • +++ www.symantec.com
   • MessageLabs AntiVirus /- www.messagelabs.com
   • Bitdefender AntiVirus /- www.bitdefender.com
   • MC/-Afee AntiVirus /- www.mcafee.com
   • Kaspersky AntiVirus /- www.kaspersky.com
   • Panda AntiVirus /- www.pandasoftware.com
   • Norman AntiVirus /- www.norman.com
   • F/-Secure AntiVirus /- www.f/-secure.com
   • Norton AntiVirus /- www.symantec.de
     
     Attachment:
     The worm constructs the attachment name in the following format:
     [NAME].[FAKE EXTENSION][BLANK SPACES].[ACTUAL EXTENSION]
     
     [NAME]
     One of the following:
     
     
   • bush
   • funny
   • joke
   • pics
   • secret
   • price2005
   • joke
   • work
   • job
   • test
   • account_info
   • billing_info
   • payment
   • [4 to 7 RANDOM CHARACTERS]
     
     [FAKE EXTENSION]
     One of the following:
     
     
   • doc
   • txt
   • info
     
     [ACTUAL EXTENSION]
     One of the following:
     
     
   • pif
   • scr
   • exe
     
     
10. Performs a denial of service attack on www.rit.edu by sending large HTTP requests of approximately 70KB.
    
    
11. Opens a back door with proxy functionality on a random port.
    
    
12. Attempts to connect to the following IP addresses using the specified ports:
    
    
    • 62.241.53.4 (Port 4242)
    • 62.241.53.15 (Port 4242)
    • 69.50.187.210 (Port 4661)
    • 62.241.53.17 (Port 4242)
    • 211.214.161.107 (Port 4661)
    • 62.241.53.16 (Port 4242)
    • 61.152.93.254 (Port 4661)
      
      
13. The worm may also attempt to download several files from the following Web sites:
    
    
    • [http://]www.aartanridge.org.uk/[REMOVED]/adnim.gif
    • [http://]www.eastcoastchoons.co.uk/[REMOVED]/DSCN2747.JPG
    • [http://]www.foxalpha.com/[REMOVED]/contraste.jpg
    • [http://]www.ribaforada.net/[REMOVED]/genteite.gif
    • [http://]www.sundayriders.co.uk/[REMOVED]/pixel_blue.gif
    • [http://]www.yamamizuryu.org/[REMOVED]/images/HotNinjaKunoichmsi.gif
    • [http://]www.foxalpha.com/[REMOVED]/contraste.jpg
    • [http://]www.hooping.org/[REMOVED]/DSCN0622.JPG
    • [http://]www.imogenheap.co.uk/[REMOVED]/Applepiona.jpg
    • [http://]www.lancer.com.ru/[REMOVED]/osoga.jpg
    • [http://]www.newgenerationcomics.net/[REMOVED]/NGCbanren.jpg
      
      Note: At the time of writing, several of the links were not functioning while others may contain copies of Backdoor.Nemog.D.

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.