McAfee > Theat Center > Virus Detail Page

Overview

This is a trojan detection. Unlike viruses, trojans do not self-replicate. They are spread manually, often under the premise that they are beneficial or wanted. The most common installation methods involve system or security exploitation, and unsuspecting users manually executing unknown programs. Distribution channels include email, malicious or hacked web pages, Internet Relay Chat (IRC), peer-to-peer networks, etc.

Characteristics

-- Update February 22, 2007 --
The risk assessment of this threat has been updated to Low-Profiled due to media attention at:
http://www.sda-asia.com/sda/features/psecom,id,980,srn,2,nodeid,4,_language,Singapore.html

-- Update February 22, 2007  --

Recent mass-spamming of new variants are spoofed as billing confirmation e-mails from IKEA, the Swede home furnishing store:

-- Update January 23, 2006 --
There was a recent mass-spamming of a new variant of this trojan.  The email message sent is as follows:

-- Update January 15, 2006 --
There was a recent mass-spamming of a new variant of this trojan.  The email message sent is as follows:

-- Update January 11, 2006 --
There was a recent mass-spamming of a new variant of this trojan.  The email message sent is as follows:

When the forex.exe file is run, it drops a DLL in the WINDOWS SYSTEM directory, such as: c:\windows\system32\fldrsys.dll

This component is registered with Windows:

• HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{%random_CLSID%}
• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\
  CurrentVersion\ShellServiceObjectDelayLoad "fldrsys" = {%random_CLSID%}

The fldrsys.dll file is loaded into SVCHOST.EXE and it attempts to contact the following sites:

• gernhardts.com/Gallerys/java/45
• muirventures.ca/images/flags
• actionwebdevelopment.com/images/flags
• cosmoflash.com/images/flags
• cosmed-hair.com/images/flags
• www.drapesofart.com/images/nav

--

Downloaders are designed to pull files from a remote website and execute the files that have been downloaded.

This sample makes no changes to the system registry or file system.

This downloader variant tries to download a file called "test.exe".  At the time of description authoring the site hosting this file was not available.

As the website being communicated is normally controlled by the malware author, any files being downloaded can be remotely modified and the behaviour of these new binaries altered - possibly with every user infection.

Symptoms

Downloaders install other malware including viruses as well as other Trojans.

Additionally many of them are used to remotely install Adware packages onto the affected host machine for the purposes of gaining referral revenue from the Adware software vendor.

Method of Infection

N/A. Downloaders are not viruses, and as such do not themselves contain any method to replicate. However they may themselves be downloaded by other viruses and/or Trojans to be installed on the user's system.

Many of these additionally are mass spammed by the author to entice people into double-clicking on them.

Alternatively they may be installed by visiting a malicious web page (either by clicking on a link, or by the website hosting a scripted exploit which installs the Downloader onto the user's system with no user interaction.

Removal

All Users:
Use current engine and DAT files for detection and removal.

Modifications made to the system Registry and/or INI files for the purposes of hooking system startup, will be successfully removed if cleaning with the recommended engine and DAT combination (or higher).

Additional Windows ME/XP removal considerations

Variants

Variants

N/A

All Information

Overview -

This is a trojan detection. Unlike viruses, trojans do not self-replicate. They are spread manually, often under the premise that they are beneficial or wanted. The most common installation methods involve system or security exploitation, and unsuspecting users manually executing unknown programs. Distribution channels include email, malicious or hacked web pages, Internet Relay Chat (IRC), peer-to-peer networks, etc.

Characteristics

Characteristics -

-- Update February 22, 2007 --
The risk assessment of this threat has been updated to Low-Profiled due to media attention at:
http://www.sda-asia.com/sda/features/psecom,id,980,srn,2,nodeid,4,_language,Singapore.html

-- Update February 22, 2007  --

Recent mass-spamming of new variants are spoofed as billing confirmation e-mails from IKEA, the Swede home furnishing store:

-- Update January 23, 2006 --
There was a recent mass-spamming of a new variant of this trojan.  The email message sent is as follows:

-- Update January 15, 2006 --
There was a recent mass-spamming of a new variant of this trojan.  The email message sent is as follows:

-- Update January 11, 2006 --
There was a recent mass-spamming of a new variant of this trojan.  The email message sent is as follows:

When the forex.exe file is run, it drops a DLL in the WINDOWS SYSTEM directory, such as: c:\windows\system32\fldrsys.dll

This component is registered with Windows:

• HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{%random_CLSID%}
• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\
  CurrentVersion\ShellServiceObjectDelayLoad "fldrsys" = {%random_CLSID%}

The fldrsys.dll file is loaded into SVCHOST.EXE and it attempts to contact the following sites:

• gernhardts.com/Gallerys/java/45
• muirventures.ca/images/flags
• actionwebdevelopment.com/images/flags
• cosmoflash.com/images/flags
• cosmed-hair.com/images/flags
• www.drapesofart.com/images/nav

--

Downloaders are designed to pull files from a remote website and execute the files that have been downloaded.

This sample makes no changes to the system registry or file system.

This downloader variant tries to download a file called "test.exe".  At the time of description authoring the site hosting this file was not available.

As the website being communicated is normally controlled by the malware author, any files being downloaded can be remotely modified and the behaviour of these new binaries altered - possibly with every user infection.

Symptoms

Symptoms -

Downloaders install other malware including viruses as well as other Trojans.

Additionally many of them are used to remotely install Adware packages onto the affected host machine for the purposes of gaining referral revenue from the Adware software vendor.

Method of Infection

Method of Infection -

N/A. Downloaders are not viruses, and as such do not themselves contain any method to replicate. However they may themselves be downloaded by other viruses and/or Trojans to be installed on the user's system.

Many of these additionally are mass spammed by the author to entice people into double-clicking on them.

Alternatively they may be installed by visiting a malicious web page (either by clicking on a link, or by the website hosting a scripted exploit which installs the Downloader onto the user's system with no user interaction.

Removal -

Removal -

All Users:
Use current engine and DAT files for detection and removal.

Modifications made to the system Registry and/or INI files for the purposes of hooking system startup, will be successfully removed if cleaning with the recommended engine and DAT combination (or higher).

Additional Windows ME/XP removal considerations

Variants

Variants -

N/A