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PWS-WoW.dll

This page shows details and results of our analysis on the malware PWS-WoW.dll

Threat Detail

Malware Type: Trojan

Malware Sub-type: Application extension

Discovery Date: 2005-12-01

Next Steps:

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.


Minimum DAT

4641 (2005-12-01)

Updated DAT

5610 (2009-05-09)

 Minimum Engine

5.1.00

File Length

Varies

 Description Added

2005-12-01

Description Modified

2006-02-20

Malware Proliferation

Characteristics

PWS-WoW.dll is a Password Stealers which attempts to steal login credentials for the World of Warcraft game and sends it to the trojan author. Once PWS-WoW.dll gets loaded into memory, it watches any running instances of wow.exe and tries to intercept credentials exchange between the local application and the remote server.

Information get sent to [hidden_username] [at] citiz.net (other variants might exist)

As it is trivial for the malware author to modify the Password Stealer to transmit data to a different website or web address, McAfee write detection routines for these Trojans which as a general rule do not include these strings in the detection routines.

This allows McAfee to write more generic detections for these threats and to proactively protect customers against future minor variants.

Therefore it is not possible to always guarantee which website and/or port is being communicated with.

Symptoms

The Trojan is running in the process list.

Mails may be sent using Outlook in some instances, or network traffic on port 25, connecting to a remote SMTP (mail) server to send email data to the malware author.

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).

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