Backdoor.Pontoeb

Posted: December 30, 2011

Threat Metric

The Threat Meter is a malware assessment that SpywareRemove.com's research team is able to give every identifiable malware threat. Our Threat Meter includes several criteria based off of specific malware threats to value their severity, reach and volume. The Threat Meter is able to give you a numerical breakdown of each threat's initial Threat Level, Detection Count, Volume Count, Trend Path and Percentage Impact. The overall ranking of each threat in the Threat Meter is a basic breakdown of how all threats are ranked within our own extensive malware database. The scoring for each specific malware threat can be easily compared to other emerging threats to draw a contrast in its particular severity. The Threat Meter is a useful tool in the endeavor of seeking a solution to remove a threat or pursue additional analytical research for all types of computer users.

The following fields listed on the Threat Meter containing a specific value, are explained in detail below:

Threat Level: The threat level scale goes from 1 to 10 where 10 is the highest level of severity and 1 is the lowest level of severity. Each specific level is relative to the threat's consistent assessed behaviors collected from SpyHunter's risk assessment model.

Detection Count: The collective number of confirmed and suspected cases of a particular malware threat. The detection count is calculated from infected PCs retrieved from diagnostic and scan log reports generated by SpyHunter.

Volume Count: Similar to the detection count, the Volume Count is specifically based on the number of confirmed and suspected threats infecting systems on a daily basis. High volume counts usually represent a popular threat but may or may not have infected a large number of systems. High detection count threats could lay dormant and have a low volume count. Criteria for Volume Count is relative to a daily detection count.

Trend Path: The Trend Path, utilizing an up arrow, down arrow or equal symbol, represents the level of recent movement of a particular threat. Up arrows represent an increase, down arrows represent a decline and the equal symbol represent no change to a threat's recent movement.

% Impact (Last 7 Days): This demonstrates a 7-day period change in the frequency of a malware threat infecting PCs. The percentage impact correlates directly to the current Trend Path to determine a rise or decline in the percentage.

Threat Level:	6/10
Infected PCs:	58

First Seen:	December 30, 2011
OS(es) Affected:	Windows

Pontoeb is a backdoor Trojan that has gained recent attention due to its usage of fake Diablo 3 cracks as installation files. SpywareRemove.com malware analysts warn that Pontoeb infections should be considered high-level threats to any Windows computer's security as a consequence of Pontoeb's backdoor functions, which allow Pontoeb to enable access and control over your PC by remote criminals. Other than unauthorized changes to your Windows Firewall, there may be few symptoms of Pontoeb on your computer even while Pontoeb is active, and SpywareRemove.com malware experts recommend that you use appropriate anti-malware scanners to detect and delete Pontoeb. Regardless of its discretion, allowing Pontoeb to remain on your computer can be considered equivalent to handing your computer over to hackers, which may result in a wide range of invasive attacks.

Don't Be Too Hasty to Grab That Crack – It Might Just Be Pontoeb

Pontoeb's primary propagation method is to conceal itself in .exe files that are inaccurately-named after cracks, key generators, trials and other types of utilities for popular-and-upcoming games like Dota 2 and Diablo III (for example, 'diablo3-crack.exe'). As long as you acquire your gaming-related files from appropriate sources, the possibility of being exposed to Pontoeb is slim, although P2P networks and pirate software sites are highly-likely to be populated by copies of Pontoeb.

Launching these Pontoeb-contamined executables will cause Pontoeb to install itself and run automatically as a background process, although there may be no visible symptoms of this consequence. Initial actions by Pontoeb include gathering basic system information that can be used to identify your PC for future attacks – this information is sent back to Pontoeb's hacker partners without your consent, and during the process, aspects of your network and firewall security are inevitably-compromised.

The Ultimate Results When Eagerness to Play Leads to Pontoeb Attacks

Because attacks by Pontoeb can be configured for a variety of ill effects, SpywareRemove.com malware researchers advise you to be on the lookout for even the worst possibilities, which can include:

Disabled security and anti-malware programs.
Browser redirect attacks that force your browser to load malicious or fraudulent content.
Changes to your computer's network ports and firewall that make their security settings useless for the purposes of blocking future assaults.
Loss of system resources that are diverted to illegal activities (such as DDoS attacks, AKA traffic-flooding attacks on websites).
Loss of personal information from keylogging, phishing techniques and other spyware attacks – this can include bank account information, Social Security numbers and credit card numbers.
The installation of other types of PC threats such as worms, viruses or rogue security programs.

Pontoeb can be detected by the aliases of Trojan.MulDrop3.21941, Backdoor.MSIL.Agent.fyc and Backdoor:MSIL/Bafrus.J. However, SpywareRemove.com malware researchers note that backdoor variants of Pontoeb shouldn't be confused with slightly-older variants of Pontoeb, Backdoor:MSIL/Pontoeb.B and Backdoor:MSIL/Pontoeb.A, which are both worms that propagate via compressed archives (such as .zip files).

Technical Details

File System Modifications

Tutorials: If you wish to learn how to remove malware components manually, you can read the tutorials on how to find malware, kill unwanted processes, remove malicious DLLs and delete other harmful files. Always be sure to back up your PC before making any changes.

The following files were created in the system:

Builded.exe

File name: Builded.exe
Size: 28.16 KB (28160 bytes)
MD5: 91768143d6c9909c3d36508a495263c8
Detection count: 44
File type: Executable File
Mime Type: unknown/exe
Group: Malware file
Last Updated: January 2, 2012

The_Lost_Watch_3D_Screensaver.scr

File name: The_Lost_Watch_3D_Screensaver.scr
Mime Type: unknown/scr
Group: Malware file

unupx.dll

File name: unupx.dll
File type: Dynamic link library
Mime Type: unknown/dll
Group: Malware file

pstc.exe

File name: pstc.exe
File type: Executable File
Mime Type: unknown/exe
Group: Malware file

crstk.exe

File name: crstk.exe
File type: Executable File
Mime Type: unknown/exe
Group: Malware file

wtsx.exe

File name: wtsx.exe
File type: Executable File
Mime Type: unknown/exe
Group: Malware file

uTorent.exe

File name: uTorent.exe
File type: Executable File
Mime Type: unknown/exe
Group: Malware file

uodbs.dll

File name: uodbs.dll
File type: Dynamic link library
Mime Type: unknown/dll
Group: Malware file

taskhostt.exe

File name: taskhostt.exe
File type: Executable File
Mime Type: unknown/exe
Group: Malware file

systemup.exe

File name: systemup.exe
File type: Executable File
Mime Type: unknown/exe
Group: Malware file

Oik6C8D0B8D.sys

File name: Oik6C8D0B8D.sys
File type: System file
Mime Type: unknown/sys
Group: Malware file

netbt.sys

File name: netbt.sys
File type: System file
Mime Type: unknown/sys
Group: Malware file

mkqiq.exe

File name: mkqiq.exe
File type: Executable File
Mime Type: unknown/exe
Group: Malware file

inlisw32.dll

File name: inlisw32.dll
File type: Dynamic link library
Mime Type: unknown/dll
Group: Malware file

deep_freeze_standard_6_2.exe

File name: deep_freeze_standard_6_2.exe
File type: Executable File
Mime Type: unknown/exe
Group: Malware file

ctfmonqdd.exe

File name: ctfmonqdd.exe
File type: Executable File
Mime Type: unknown/exe
Group: Malware file

ctfmonipa.exe

File name: ctfmonipa.exe
File type: Executable File
Mime Type: unknown/exe
Group: Malware file

CR-WR311.EXE

File name: CR-WR311.EXE
File type: Executable File
Mime Type: unknown/EXE
Group: Malware file

Counter-Strike Source.exe

File name: Counter-Strike Source.exe
File type: Executable File
Mime Type: unknown/exe
Group: Malware file

commctl32.dll

File name: commctl32.dll
File type: Dynamic link library
Mime Type: unknown/dll
Group: Malware file

AppleMainInit.dll

File name: AppleMainInit.dll
File type: Dynamic link library
Mime Type: unknown/dll
Group: Malware file

9719831.exe

File name: 9719831.exe
File type: Executable File
Mime Type: unknown/exe
Group: Malware file

verupd.exe

File name: verupd.exe
File type: Executable File
Mime Type: unknown/exe
Group: Malware file

onetsw32.dll

File name: onetsw32.dll
File type: Dynamic link library
Mime Type: unknown/dll
Group: Malware file

inetsw32.dll

File name: inetsw32.dll
File type: Dynamic link library
Mime Type: unknown/dll
Group: Malware file

wb.exe

File name: wb.exe
File type: Executable File
Mime Type: unknown/exe
Group: Malware file

WUDHost.exe

File name: WUDHost.exe
File type: Executable File
Mime Type: unknown/exe
Group: Malware file

svchost.exe

File name: svchost.exe
File type: Executable File
Mime Type: unknown/exe
Group: Malware file

win32rundll.exe

File name: win32rundll.exe
File type: Executable File
Mime Type: unknown/exe
Group: Malware file

dwm.exe

File name: dwm.exe
File type: Executable File
Mime Type: unknown/exe
Group: Malware file

audiohd.exe

File name: audiohd.exe
File type: Executable File
Mime Type: unknown/exe
Group: Malware file

waudiohd.exe

File name: waudiohd.exe
File type: Executable File
Mime Type: unknown/exe
Group: Malware file