Trojan Horse Peacomm ... morphing into a bugger

[muckshifter]

I have been receiving a few of these every day this week. They appear to be all coming from Russia. Be wary of opening these. The person who created it has been adjusting it to try to evade protection software, and there are also many more subject lines now than those listed below by Symantec.

Trojan.Peacomm Risk Level 3: Moderate Discovered: January 19, 2007
Updated: January 23, 2007 12:05:43 PM GMT
Also Known As: CME-711 , TROJ_SMALL.EDW , Small.DAM , Downloader-BAI , Troj/Dorf-Fam
Type: Trojan Horse
Systems Affected: Windows 2000, Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows Me, Windows NT, Windows Server 2003, Windows XP
SUMMARY

Trojan.Peacomm is a Trojan horse that drops a driver program file to download additional security threats.

Trojan.Peacomm reportedly arrives as an attachment to a spammed email with the following characteristics:

Subject:
One of the following:
A killer at 11, he's free at 21 and kill again!
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has kicked German Chancellor Angela Merkel
British Muslims Genocide
Naked teens attack home director.
230 dead as storm batters Europe.
Re: Your text
Radical Muslim drinking enemies's blood.
Chinese missile shot down Russian satellite
Chinese missile shot down Russian aircraft
Chinese missile shot down USA aircraft
Chinese missile shot down USA satellite
Russian missile shot down USA aircraft
Russian missile shot down USA satellite
Russian missile shot down Chinese aircraft
Russian missile shot down Chinese satellite
Saddam Hussein safe and sound!
Saddam Hussein alive!
Venezuelan leader: "Let's the War beginning".
Fidel Castro dead.

Attachment:
One of the following:
FullVideo.exe
Full Story.exe
Video.exe
Read More.exe
FullClip.exe
GreetingPostcard.exe
MoreHere.exe
FlashPostcard.exe
GreetingCard.exe
ClickHere.exe
ReadMore.exe
FlashPostcard.exe
FullNews.exe

Note: Due to a substantial increase in activity, Symantec Security Response raised this threat to category 3 on January 22, 2007.

Further reading: Trojan.Peacomm: Building a Peer-to-Peer Botnet

ProtectionVirus Definitions (LiveUpdate™ Daily) January 19, 2007
Virus Definitions (LiveUpdate™ Weekly) January 22, 2007
Virus Definitions (Intelligent Updater) January 19, 2007
Virus Definitions (LiveUpdate™ Plus) January 19, 2007
Threat AssessmentWildWild Level: High
Number of Infections: More than 1000
Number of Sites: More than 10
Geographical Distribution: Medium
Threat Containment: Easy
Removal: Moderate
DamageDamage Level: High
Payload: Downloads additional security threats.
Degrades Performance: Sent UDP packets may degrade performance.
DistributionDistribution Level: Low
Ports: UDP port 4000, UDP port 7871
TECHNICAL DETAILS
When Trojan.Peacomm is executed, it performs the following actions:

Drops the following file:

%System%\wincom32.sys

Note: %System% is a variable that refers to the System folder. By default this is C:\Windows\System (Windows 95/98/Me), C:\Winnt\System32 (Windows NT/2000), or C:\Windows\System32 (Windows XP).

Uses the file %System%\wincom32.sys to register a new system device driver with the following characteristics:

Display Name: wincom32
Binary Path: %System%\wincom32.sys

Creates the following registry subkey to install the new service:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\wincom32

Uses the installed device driver to search for the services.exe process and injects a module into it.

Drops the following configuration files containing an encrypted list of initial peers:

%System%\peers.ini
%System%\Wincom32.ini

Opens and then listens on the following ports, which are used for encrypted communication channels with other peers:

UDP port 4000
UDP port 7871

Scans for other peers by sending UDP packets on the following ports:

UDP port 4000
UDP port 7871

Exchanges information with the found peers and updates its own peer list. The peers may be used to retrieve commands provided by and pushed through from a central server.

May then download and execute the following:
217.107.217.187//game0.exe - copy of Trojan.Abwiz.F
81.177.3.169//game1.exe - copy of W32.Mixor.Q@mm
81.177.3.169//game2.exe - copy of W32.Mixor.Q@mm
81.177.3.169//game4.exe - copy of W32.Mixor.Q@mm

RecommendationsSymantec Security Response encourages all users and administrators to adhere to the following basic security "best practices":

Turn off and remove unneeded services. By default, many operating systems install auxiliary services that are not critical, such as an FTP server, telnet, and a Web server. These services are avenues of attack. If they are removed, blended threats have less avenues of attack and you have fewer services to maintain through patch updates.
If a blended 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 (for example, all Windows-based computers should have the current Service Pack installed.). Additionally, please apply any security updates that are mentioned in this writeup, in trusted Security Bulletins, or on vendor Web sites.
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.
Configure your email server to block or remove email that contains file attachments that are commonly used to spread viruses, such as .vbs, .bat, .exe, .pif and .scr files.
Isolate infected computers quickly to prevent further compromising your organization. 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.
REMOVAL
The following instructions pertain to all current and recent Symantec antivirus products, including the Symantec AntiVirus and Norton AntiVirus product lines.

Disable System Restore (Windows Me/XP).
Update the virus definitions.
Run a full system scan.
Delete any values added to the registry.

For specific details on each of these steps, read the following instructions.

1. To disable System Restore (Windows Me/XP)
If you are running Windows Me or Windows XP, we recommend that you temporarily turn off System Restore. Windows Me/XP uses this feature, which is enabled by default, to restore the files on your computer in case they become damaged. If a virus, worm, or Trojan infects a computer, System Restore may back up the virus, worm, or Trojan on the computer.

Windows prevents outside programs, including antivirus programs, from modifying System Restore. Therefore, antivirus programs or tools cannot remove threats in the System Restore folder. As a result, System Restore has the potential of restoring an infected file on your computer, even after you have cleaned the infected files from all the other locations.

Also, a virus scan may detect a threat in the System Restore folder even though you have removed the threat.

For instructions on how to turn off System Restore, read your Windows documentation, or one of the following articles:
How to disable or enable Windows Me System Restore
How to turn off or turn on Windows XP System Restore

Note: When you are completely finished with the removal procedure and are satisfied that the threat has been removed, reenable System Restore by following the instructions in the aforementioned documents.

For additional information, and an alternative to disabling Windows Me System Restore, see the Microsoft Knowledge Base article: Antivirus Tools Cannot Clean Infected Files in the _Restore Folder (Article ID: Q263455).

2. To update the virus definitions
Symantec Security Response fully tests all the virus definitions for quality assurance before they are posted to our servers. There are two ways to obtain the most recent virus definitions:
Running LiveUpdate, which is the easiest way to obtain virus definitions:
If you use Norton AntiVirus 2006, Symantec AntiVirus Corporate Edition 10.0, or newer products, LiveUpdate definitions are updated daily. These products include newer technology.
If you use Norton AntiVirus 2005, Symantec AntiVirus Corporate Edition 9.0, or earlier products, LiveUpdate definitions are updated weekly. The exception is major outbreaks, when definitions are updated more often.
Downloading the definitions using the Intelligent Updater: The Intelligent Updater virus definitions are posted daily. You should download the definitions from the Symantec Security Response Web site and manually install them. To determine whether definitions for this threat are available by the Intelligent Updater, refer to Virus Definitions (Intelligent Updater).

The latest Intelligent Updater virus definitions can be obtained here: Intelligent Updater virus definitions. For detailed instructions read the document: How to update virus definition files using the Intelligent Updater.

3. To run a full system scan
Start your Symantec antivirus program and make sure that it is configured to scan all the files.
For Norton AntiVirus consumer products: Read the document: How to configure Norton AntiVirus to scan all files.
For Symantec AntiVirus Enterprise products: Read the document: How to verify that a Symantec Corporate antivirus product is set to scan all files.
Run a full system scan.
If any files are detected, follow the instructions displayed by your antivirus program.

Important: If you are unable to start your Symantec antivirus product or the product reports that it cannot delete a detected file, you may need to stop the risk from running in order to remove it. To do this, run the scan in Safe mode. For instructions, read the document, How to start the computer in Safe Mode. Once you have restarted in Safe mode, run the scan again.

After the files are deleted, restart the computer in Normal mode and proceed with the next section.

Warning messages may be displayed when the computer is restarted, since the threat may not be fully removed at this point. You can ignore these messages and click OK. These messages will not appear when the computer is restarted after the removal instructions have been fully completed. The messages displayed may be similar to the following:

Title:
Message body: Windows cannot find . Make sure you typed the name correctly, and then try again. To search for a file, click the Start button, and then click Search.

4. To delete the value from the registry
Important: Symantec strongly recommends that you back up the registry before making any changes to it. Incorrect changes to the registry can result in permanent data loss or corrupted files. Modify the specified subkeys only. For instructions refer to the document: How to make a backup of the Windows registry.

Click Start > Run.
Type regedit
Click OK.

Note: If the registry editor fails to open the threat may have modified the registry to prevent access to the registry editor. Security Response has developed a tool to resolve this problem. Download and run this tool, and then continue with the removal.

Navigate to and delete the following subkey:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\wincom32

Exit the Registry Editor.

Please make sure your AV program is up to date.

This is a particular nastie Trojan/Worm ... be it on your own head if you open email attachments.

 

[w.bishop]

Hi Mucks thank you for informing us of this it is much apreciated

 

[Ian]

Yup, I've had a lot of these too. Thanks for the heads up Mucks, as I wondered what it actually did

 

[Adywebb]

Thanks Mucks


I get 'em as well - but I use Mailwasher to access my mail direct at the server before downloading- I then just bounce any emails from addresses I don't recognise, then download the rest.

 

[mudfrog]

Hhhmmm this has been a bitch for me at work

I've had three machines with it due to nob head users opening up the attachment postcard.exe.

McAfee had detected the infection but it has been a nightmare cleaning the machines up I can tell ya.
Just when you think it was clean the next day it would detect another file with the infection.
Got there in the end I think.

No matter how many warnings we send out to users NOT to open any message attachments that they do not know the content they just can't help themselves sometimes. Thus causing hours of work for me and loss of productivity on there part.

I could slap some people I really could

I really need to have a word with our FD to release some funds for a dedicated email/web scanner.
But I can't see it happening myself. Hey ho.