Softpanorama

May the source be with you, but remember the KISS principle ;-)
Home Switchboard Unix Administration Red Hat TCP/IP Networks Neoliberalism Toxic Managers
(slightly skeptical) Educational society promoting "Back to basics" movement against IT overcomplexity and  bastardization of classic Unix

Malware Defense History

by Dr. Nikolai Bezroukov.

Copyright: Dr. Nikolai Bezroukov 1994-2013. Unpublished notes. Version 0.80.October, 2013

Contents : Foreword : Ch01 : Ch02 : Ch03  : Ch04 : Ch05 : Ch06 : Ch07 : Ch08 : Ch09 : Ch10 : Ch11 : Ch12 : Ch13


Ch10: Remote Access Trojans and Zombie Networks

Win32:Sirefef.A

News Strategies of Defending Windows against Viruses, Worms and other Malware Recommended Links Softpanorama Malware Defense Strategy Backup process Three phases of the image restore process Backup your infected partition from recovery CD or separate bootable USB drive
Create a Delta Tree of data that Restore the image from backup and merge your Delta Tree with it Conclusions Webliography Humor History Etc

This Trojan has many strains. Distributed with  Data Recovery scareware . Here is description of Strain A from Microsoft

Trojan:Win32/Sirefef.A is a trojan that redirects user results from Google to a certain Web site.

Installation
Trojan:Win32/Sirefef.A drops the following files as ADS (Alternate Data Stream) files. These are also detected as Trojan:Win32/Sirefef.A:
 

Note - <system folder> refers to a variable location that is determined by the malware by querying the Operating System. The default installation location for the System folder for Windows 2000 and NT is C:\Winnt\System32; and for XP and Vista is C:\Windows\System32.

The ADS 'netcfgx.dll:Zone.Identifier' is loaded into the svchost.exe process.

Trojan:Win32/Sirefef.A also creates the following registry key and entry to register its dropped DLL file:

Adds key: HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Enum\Root\LEGACY_{79007602-0CDB-4405-9DBF-1257BB3226ED}

Adds value: "(Default)"
With data: "<system folder>\netcfgx.dll:Zone.Identifier"
To subkey: HKLM\Classes\CLSID\{5B035261-40F9-11D1-AAEC-00805FC1270E}\InProcServer32

Payload
Redirects searches

Trojan:Win32/Sirefef.A may attempt to connect to the domain 'wxtr812.com' to download a configuration file as '%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Documents\gifnoc.xtx'. Trojan:Win32/Sirefef.A. It may then redirect searches made using Google to a site indicated in the configuration file. As a result, rather than the pages of the search results, users are directed to a malware-specified Web site instead.

As of this writing, the configuration file is unavailable; therefore the site to which searches are redirected to is also undetermined.

Analysis by Andrei Florin Saygo

How to Remove Win32:Sirefef

Anti-rootkit utility called TDSSKiller is a free tool from Kasperksy that neutralizes complicated malware which effectively hides its process, folders, files and registry entries.

1. Download TDSSKiller from this link. Save the file to your desktop.
2. Extract the contents using archiver applications.
3. Reboot the computer in Safe Mode to avoid Win32:Sirefef-AO from loading at start-up. You may want to print this procedure as we have to restart the computer to complete the removal process.
- Restart the computer.
- Before Windows begins to load, press F8 on your keyboard.
- It will display an Advanced Boot Options menu. Select Safe Mode with Networking.
- Windows will now start in Safe Mode.

4. Locate and run the TDSSKiller.exe file.


Top Visited
Switchboard
Latest
Past week
Past month

NEWS CONTENTS

Old News ;-)

Win32Sirefef-AO - Virus Solution and Removal

[Rtk]is a Trojan component of Win32:Sirefef – a family of malware that controls infected computer's Internet activities by redirecting requested URL to a different one. This family of Trojans consists of several components that carry out different tasks like downloading more malware, concealing Trojan's presence, and executing other payloads.

Damage Level: Medium

Systems Affected: Windows 9x/ME, Windows 2000, XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7

Characteristics

When executed, Win32:Sirefef-AO Rootkit will drop several files on various folders of your hard drive. Literally, Trojan's file is placed under Windows system folder. It may also modify and add certain strings to the Windows registry to perform the following tasks:

Once it is running, Win32:Sirefef-AO can take full control of your Internet activities. It can modify search result and point your browser to a different web address. Moreover, the Trojan may link your PC to another computer to download and install more threats.

To hide itself on the system's running process, Win32:Sirefef-AO will embed its code to legitimate Windows DLL and processes. Thus, users as well as antivirus program will only see one legitimate process running.

Distribution

Since Win32:Sirefef-AO belongs to a multi-component family, other members may have dropped this variant onto your computer. Users may also be in contact with the Trojan if they visit a malicious web site that carries the corrupt code.

Earlier versions of Win32:Sirefef-AO [Rtk] Rootkit first spread in Poland. Avast antivirus program users first reported the infection around November of 2011. Here is a screen capture of early detection of this Trojan.

Avast Detection

How to Remove Win32:Sirefef-AO

Anti-rootkit utility called TDSSKiller is a free tool from Kasperksy that neutralizes complicated malware which effectively hides its process, folders, files and registry entries.

1. Download TDSSKiller from this link. Save the file to your desktop.
2. Extract the contents using archiver applications.
3. Reboot the computer in Safe Mode to avoid Win32:Sirefef-AO from loading at start-up. You may want to print this procedure as we have to restart the computer to complete the removal process.
- Restart the computer.
- Before Windows begins to load, press F8 on your keyboard.
- It will display an Advanced Boot Options menu. Select Safe Mode with Networking.
- Windows will now start in Safe Mode.

4. Locate and run the TDSSKiller.exe file.

Recommended Links

Google matched content

Softpanorama Recommended

Top articles

Sites

Win32-Sirefef - Microsoft Malware Protection Center

Sirefef.A

Remove TrojanWin32-Sirefef.O fraudware - AntiVirus Software - Zimbio



Etc

Society

Groupthink : Two Party System as Polyarchy : Corruption of Regulators : Bureaucracies : Understanding Micromanagers and Control Freaks : Toxic Managers :   Harvard Mafia : Diplomatic Communication : Surviving a Bad Performance Review : Insufficient Retirement Funds as Immanent Problem of Neoliberal Regime : PseudoScience : Who Rules America : Neoliberalism  : The Iron Law of Oligarchy : Libertarian Philosophy

Quotes

War and Peace : Skeptical Finance : John Kenneth Galbraith :Talleyrand : Oscar Wilde : Otto Von Bismarck : Keynes : George Carlin : Skeptics : Propaganda  : SE quotes : Language Design and Programming Quotes : Random IT-related quotesSomerset Maugham : Marcus Aurelius : Kurt Vonnegut : Eric Hoffer : Winston Churchill : Napoleon Bonaparte : Ambrose BierceBernard Shaw : Mark Twain Quotes

Bulletin:

Vol 25, No.12 (December, 2013) Rational Fools vs. Efficient Crooks The efficient markets hypothesis : Political Skeptic Bulletin, 2013 : Unemployment Bulletin, 2010 :  Vol 23, No.10 (October, 2011) An observation about corporate security departments : Slightly Skeptical Euromaydan Chronicles, June 2014 : Greenspan legacy bulletin, 2008 : Vol 25, No.10 (October, 2013) Cryptolocker Trojan (Win32/Crilock.A) : Vol 25, No.08 (August, 2013) Cloud providers as intelligence collection hubs : Financial Humor Bulletin, 2010 : Inequality Bulletin, 2009 : Financial Humor Bulletin, 2008 : Copyleft Problems Bulletin, 2004 : Financial Humor Bulletin, 2011 : Energy Bulletin, 2010 : Malware Protection Bulletin, 2010 : Vol 26, No.1 (January, 2013) Object-Oriented Cult : Political Skeptic Bulletin, 2011 : Vol 23, No.11 (November, 2011) Softpanorama classification of sysadmin horror stories : Vol 25, No.05 (May, 2013) Corporate bullshit as a communication method  : Vol 25, No.06 (June, 2013) A Note on the Relationship of Brooks Law and Conway Law

History:

Fifty glorious years (1950-2000): the triumph of the US computer engineering : Donald Knuth : TAoCP and its Influence of Computer Science : Richard Stallman : Linus Torvalds  : Larry Wall  : John K. Ousterhout : CTSS : Multix OS Unix History : Unix shell history : VI editor : History of pipes concept : Solaris : MS DOSProgramming Languages History : PL/1 : Simula 67 : C : History of GCC developmentScripting Languages : Perl history   : OS History : Mail : DNS : SSH : CPU Instruction Sets : SPARC systems 1987-2006 : Norton Commander : Norton Utilities : Norton Ghost : Frontpage history : Malware Defense History : GNU Screen : OSS early history

Classic books:

The Peter Principle : Parkinson Law : 1984 : The Mythical Man-MonthHow to Solve It by George Polya : The Art of Computer Programming : The Elements of Programming Style : The Unix Hater’s Handbook : The Jargon file : The True Believer : Programming Pearls : The Good Soldier Svejk : The Power Elite

Most popular humor pages:

Manifest of the Softpanorama IT Slacker Society : Ten Commandments of the IT Slackers Society : Computer Humor Collection : BSD Logo Story : The Cuckoo's Egg : IT Slang : C++ Humor : ARE YOU A BBS ADDICT? : The Perl Purity Test : Object oriented programmers of all nations : Financial Humor : Financial Humor Bulletin, 2008 : Financial Humor Bulletin, 2010 : The Most Comprehensive Collection of Editor-related Humor : Programming Language Humor : Goldman Sachs related humor : Greenspan humor : C Humor : Scripting Humor : Real Programmers Humor : Web Humor : GPL-related Humor : OFM Humor : Politically Incorrect Humor : IDS Humor : "Linux Sucks" Humor : Russian Musical Humor : Best Russian Programmer Humor : Microsoft plans to buy Catholic Church : Richard Stallman Related Humor : Admin Humor : Perl-related Humor : Linus Torvalds Related humor : PseudoScience Related Humor : Networking Humor : Shell Humor : Financial Humor Bulletin, 2011 : Financial Humor Bulletin, 2012 : Financial Humor Bulletin, 2013 : Java Humor : Software Engineering Humor : Sun Solaris Related Humor : Education Humor : IBM Humor : Assembler-related Humor : VIM Humor : Computer Viruses Humor : Bright tomorrow is rescheduled to a day after tomorrow : Classic Computer Humor

The Last but not Least Technology is dominated by two types of people: those who understand what they do not manage and those who manage what they do not understand ~Archibald Putt. Ph.D


Copyright © 1996-2021 by Softpanorama Society. www.softpanorama.org was initially created as a service to the (now defunct) UN Sustainable Development Networking Programme (SDNP) without any remuneration. This document is an industrial compilation designed and created exclusively for educational use and is distributed under the Softpanorama Content License. Original materials copyright belong to respective owners. Quotes are made for educational purposes only in compliance with the fair use doctrine.

FAIR USE NOTICE This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available to advance understanding of computer science, IT technology, economic, scientific, and social issues. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided by section 107 of the US Copyright Law according to which such material can be distributed without profit exclusively for research and educational purposes.

This is a Spartan WHYFF (We Help You For Free) site written by people for whom English is not a native language. Grammar and spelling errors should be expected. The site contain some broken links as it develops like a living tree...

You can use PayPal to to buy a cup of coffee for authors of this site

Disclaimer:

The statements, views and opinions presented on this web page are those of the author (or referenced source) and are not endorsed by, nor do they necessarily reflect, the opinions of the Softpanorama society. We do not warrant the correctness of the information provided or its fitness for any purpose. The site uses AdSense so you need to be aware of Google privacy policy. You you do not want to be tracked by Google please disable Javascript for this site. This site is perfectly usable without Javascript.

Last modified: March, 12, 2019