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

There are several variants of the trojan. The description is a general guide. 

PWS-Banker.gen.de is a password stealing trojan that captures bank account information (username/password) and sends this information to the author via different methods. These methods include (this is not an exclusive list)

• FTP
• SMTP
• HTTP (embedded through URLs or through FORMs)
• Fake HTTP pages
• Keyloggers
• Custom backdoors
• Injecting DLLs into memory

A Chinese variant sends password information to the author via an SQL query to a database controlled by the author after looking up the IP address of the infected machine. The following sites are consulted to discovered the infected host's IP address:

• http://vbnet.mvps.org/
• http://pchelplive.com/

The Trojan installs the following registry key:

• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\DownloadManager

Symptoms

• Presence of suspicious network traffic
• Presence of the registry key mentioned above

Method of Infection

N/A. Password Stealers 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 Password Stealer 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 -

There are several variants of the trojan. The description is a general guide. 

PWS-Banker.gen.de is a password stealing trojan that captures bank account information (username/password) and sends this information to the author via different methods. These methods include (this is not an exclusive list)

• FTP
• SMTP
• HTTP (embedded through URLs or through FORMs)
• Fake HTTP pages
• Keyloggers
• Custom backdoors
• Injecting DLLs into memory

A Chinese variant sends password information to the author via an SQL query to a database controlled by the author after looking up the IP address of the infected machine. The following sites are consulted to discovered the infected host's IP address:

• http://vbnet.mvps.org/
• http://pchelplive.com/

The Trojan installs the following registry key:

• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\DownloadManager

Symptoms

Symptoms -

• Presence of suspicious network traffic
• Presence of the registry key mentioned above

Method of Infection

Method of Infection -

N/A. Password Stealers 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 Password Stealer 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