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Virus Profile: W32/Netsky.g@MM

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Virus Profile information details
Risk Assessment: Home Low | Corporate Low
Date Discovered: 3/4/2004
Date Added: 3/4/2004
Origin: Unknown
Length: 27,648 bytes (telock)
Type: Virus
Subtype: E-mail
DAT Required: 4328
Removal Instructions
   
 
 
   

Description

This is a virus detection. Viruses are programs that self-replicate recursively, meaning that infected systems spread the virus to other systems, which then propagate the virus further. While many viruses contain a destructive payload, it's quite common for viruses to do nothing more than spread from one system to another.

Indication of Infection

 
  • Existence of files and registry keys as mentioned above
  • Unexpected network traffic
  • Outgoing DNS queries to one of the following hard-coded IP addresses:
    • 145.253.2.171
    • 151.189.13.35
    • 193.141.40.42
    • 193.193.144.12
    • 193.193.158.10
    • 194.25.2.129
    • 194.25.2.130
    • 194.25.2.131
    • 194.25.2.132
    • 194.25.2.133
    • 194.25.2.134
    • 195.185.185.195
    • 195.20.224.234
    • 212.185.252.136
    • 212.185.252.73
    • 212.185.253.70
    • 212.44.160.8
    • 212.7.128.162
    • 212.7.128.165
    • 213.191.74.19
    • 217.5.97.137
    • 62.155.255.16

    • Methods of Infection

    This worm spreads by email, constructing messages using its own SMTP engine
       

    Virus Characteristics

    A new variant of W32/Netsky@MM has been received which is detected and repaired as W32/Netsky.c@MM with the 4328 DATs and higher with scanning of compressed files enabled (W32/Netsky.gen@MM since the 4331 DATs).

    This variant is very similar to W32/Netsky.f@MM .

    This virus spreads via email. It sends itself to addresses found on the victim's machine.  The virus also attempts to deactivate the various other viruses (variants of W32/Mydoom and W32/Bagle).

    Mail propagation
    The virus may be received in an email message as follows:

    From: (forged address taken from infected system)

    Subject: 

    • Re: Your website
    • Re: Your product
    • Re: Your letter
    • Re: Your archive
    • Re: Your text
    • Re: Your bill
    • Re: Your details
    • Re: My details
    • Re: Word file
    • Re: Excel file
    • Re: Details
    • Re: Approved
    • Re: Your software
    • Re: Your music
    • Re: Here
    • Re: Re: Re: Your document
    • Re: Hello
    • Re: Hi
    • Re: Re: Message
    • Re: Your picture
    • Re: Here is the document
    • Re: Your document
    • Re: Thanks!
    • Re: Re: Thanks!
    • Re: Re: Document
    • Re: Document

    Body:

    • Your file is attached
    • Please read the attached file
    • Please have a look at the attached
    • See the attached file for details
    • Here is the file
    • Your document is attached.

    Attachment:

    • your_website.pif
    • your_product.pif
    • your_letter.pif
    • your_archive.pif
    • your_text.pif
    • your_bill.pif
    • your_details.pif
    • document_word.pif
    • document_excel.pif
    • my_details.pif
    • all_document.pif
    • application.pif
    • mp3music.pif
    • yours.pif
    • document_4351.pif
    • your_file.pif
    • message_details.pif
    • your_picture.pif
    • document_full.pif
    • message_part2.pif
    • document.pif
    • your_document.pif

    Note: initial investigation indicates that the worm may email itself either as a binary or as a binary within a ZIP file. This will be updated when analysis is complete.

    The mailing component harvests address from the local system.  Files with the following extensions are targeted:

    • .adb
    • html
    • .asp
    • .cgi
    • .dbx
    • .dhtm
    • .doc
    • .eml
    • .htm
    • .oft
    • .php
    • .pl
    • .rtf
    • .sht
    • .shtm
    • .msg
    • .tbb
    • .txt
    • .uin
    • .vbs
    • .wab

  • It does not send itself to addresses that contain one of the following strings:

    • abuse
    • fbi
    • orton
    • f-pro
    • aspersky
    • cafee
    • orman
    • itdefender
    • f-secur
    • avp
    • skynet
    • spam
    • messagelabs
    • ymantec
    • antivi
    • icrosoft
    • iruslis
    • antivir
    • sophos
    • freeav
    • andasoftwa

    The virus sends itself via SMTP - constructing messages using its own SMTP engine. It queries the DNS server for the MX record and connects directly to the MTA of the targeted domain and sends the message.

    System changes
    The worm copies itself into %WinDir% (eg. C:\WINDOWS) folder using the filename AVGUARD.EXE.

    • C:\WINNT\avguard.exe (27,648 bytes)

    A Registry key is created to load the worm at system start.

    •  HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\
      CurrentVersion\Run
      "Special Firewall Service" = %WinDir%\avguard.exe -av service
    •    

    All Users:
    Use specified engine and DAT files for detection.

    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 current engine and the specified DATs (or higher). Older engines may not be able to remove all registry keys created by this threat.

    Additional Windows ME/XP removal considerations