Analysis by: Rika Joi Gregorio
ALIASES:

Exploit:Win32/CVE-2012-0158.CJ(Microsoft), Exploit-CVE2014-1761!rtf(McAfee), Win32/Exploit.CVE-2012-0158.LU trojan(Eset), Exploit.CVE-2012-0158(Ikarus)

 PLATFORM:

Windows

 OVERALL RISK RATING:
 DAMAGE POTENTIAL:
 DISTRIBUTION POTENTIAL:
 REPORTED INFECTION:
 INFORMATION EXPOSURE:

  • Threat Type: Trojan

  • Destructiveness: No

  • Encrypted:

  • In the wild: Yes

  OVERVIEW

Infection Channel: Via email, Downloaded from the Internet

This Trojan arrives as an attachment to email messages spammed by other malware/grayware or malicious users. It arrives on a system as a file dropped by other malware or as a file downloaded unknowingly by users when visiting malicious sites.

It executes the dropped file(s). As a result, malicious routines of the dropped files are exhibited on the affected system.

  TECHNICAL DETAILS

File Size: 820,218 bytes
File Type: RTF
Memory Resident: No
Initial Samples Received Date: 16 Feb 2015
Payload: Drops files

Arrival Details

This Trojan arrives as an attachment to email messages spammed by other malware/grayware or malicious users.

It arrives on a system as a file dropped by other malware or as a file downloaded unknowingly by users when visiting malicious sites.

Installation

This Trojan drops and executes the following files:

  • %User Profile%\Local Settings\{file name}.exe - detected as BKDR_CARBANAK.A

(Note: %User Profile% is the current user's profile folder, which is usually C:\Documents and Settings\{user name} on Windows 2000, XP, and Server 2003, or C:\Users\{user name} on Windows Vista and 7.)

Dropping Routine

This Trojan takes advantage of the following software vulnerabilities to drop malicious files:

It executes the dropped file(s). As a result, malicious routines of the dropped files are exhibited on the affected system.

NOTES:

The {file name} of the dropped file may be any of the following:

  • ntxobj
  • spoolsv

  SOLUTION

Minimum Scan Engine: 9.700
FIRST VSAPI PATTERN FILE: 11.482.04
FIRST VSAPI PATTERN DATE: 17 Feb 2015
VSAPI OPR PATTERN File: 11.483.00
VSAPI OPR PATTERN Date: 17 Feb 2015

Step 1

Before doing any scans, Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7 users must disable System Restore to allow full scanning of their computers.

Step 2

Remove malware/grayware files dropped/downloaded by TROJ_ARTIEF.NCK. (Note: Please skip this step if the threats listed below have already been removed.)