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W32/Bugbros@MM

This page shows details and results of our analysis on the malware W32/Bugbros@MM

Threat Detail

Malware Type: Virus

Malware Sub-type: N/A

Discovery Date: 2004-01-07

Next Steps:

Overview

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.


Minimum DAT

4254 (2003-03-26)

Updated DAT

4254 (2003-03-26)

 Minimum Engine

5.1.00

File Length

36,864 bytes

 Description Added

2004-01-07

Description Modified

2004-01-08

Malware Proliferation

Characteristics

This threat is considered to be Low-Profiled due to the following article:
http://searchsecurity.techtarget.com/originalContent/0,289142,sid14_gci943545,00.html

McAfee users have been proactively protected from this threat for more than 9 months.  This threat is detected as W32/Generic.a@MM or W32/Generic@MM with the 4254 DAT files or newer.

This mass-mailing worm poses as an update from Microsoft.  The entire purpose of the worm is to spread via email.  It arrives in an email message as follows:

Subject: LiveUpdate Informations
Body:

Hi,
I have send you the needed informations for the new worm-backdoor discovered.
The Backdoor is called W32.Bug.Gear.A
You can run the attachment to avoide getting hacked by closing the  backdoor.

bye

Attachment: (name can vary, it depends on the name of the .exe file when run on the infected sender's system)

When the attachment is run, the worm tries to copy itself to the C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32 directory.  If this directory does not exist, an error message is displayed.

Two registry run keys are created to load the worm at startup:

  • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\
    Run "G00123"
  • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\
    RunOnce "Services004"

The worm sends a message as described above and blind carbon copies all recipients found in the Outlook Address Book.  It also BCCs the address support@microsoft.com.

Symptoms

Presence of the aforementioned registry keys.

Method of Infection

This mass mailing worm spreads through Outlook.

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).

But in some particular cases, the following steps need to be taken.

Please go to the Microsoft Recovery Console and restore a clean MBR.

On Windows XP:

  • Insert the Windows XP CD into the CD-ROM drive and restart the computer.
  • When the "Welcome to Setup" screen appears, press R to start the Recovery Console.
  • Select the Windows installation that is compromised and provide the administrator password.
  • Issue 'fixmbr' command to restore the Master Boot Record
  • Follow onscreen instructions.
  • Reset and remove the CD from CD-ROM drive.


On Windows Vista and 7:

  • Insert the Windows CD into the CD-ROM drive and restart the computer.
  • Click on "Repair Your Computer".
  • When the System Recovery Options dialog comes up, choose the Command Prompt.
  • Issue 'bootrec /fixmbr' command to restore the Master Boot Record.
  • Follow onscreen instructions.
  • Reset and remove the CD from CD-ROM drive.

Variants

United States - English