PE_MUSTAN.A

Posted: October 22, 2012

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:	2/10
Infected PCs:	14

First Seen:	October 22, 2012
OS(es) Affected:	Windows

PE_MUSTAN.A is a virus that attacks your computer's anti-virus programs, spreads through networks, infects wide ranges of files and attempts to connect to a remote server for instructions on additional attacks. While SpywareRemove.com malware research team has seen signs of PE_MUSTAN.A being a potential update to the WORM_MORTO.SM worm or at least a program designed by the same team of coders, PE_MUSTAN.A is more than dangerous enough by itself and can potentially allow criminals to control your computer via backdoor-based attacks. Since PE_MUSTAN.A avoids infecting files that would cause obvious system crashes and other types of misbehavior, you may not see symptoms of a PE_MUSTAN.A infection. Whenever available, anti-malware programs always should be used to delete PC threats that, like PE_MUSTAN.A, infect other files habitually.

PE_MUSTAN.A: Hammering Home the Importance of a Strong Password to Your Detriment

PE_MUSTAN.A often is identified as a member of the Morto family due to employing the same brute-force method of breaking into password-protected PCs and accounts that Morto-based PC threats are known to use. PE_MUSTAN.A tests a range of common phrases for both the admin field and the password field, and, if successful, can infect the protected computer (as well as stealing the login information). Although the following list isn't conclusive, SpywareRemove.com malware researchers listed some of the most common combinations that PE_MUSTAN.A uses:

For the user name, PE_MUSTAN.A uses such phrases as:
– admin
– administrator
– test
– user
For the password, PE_MUSTAN.A may use:
– 12345
– login
– password
– user123
– 123abc
– owner
– tigger
– foobar
– computer

This only is a small list of the potential passwords and user names that PE_MUSTAN.A may use in various combinations. Similar tactics have been used by members of the Morto family like WORM_MORTO.SM, and PE_MUSTAN.A, itself, often is detected by the alias of Worm:Win32/Morto.A. PE_MUSTAN.A uses this attack in conjunction with attempts to spread through removable devices (such as USB drives) and network shares, which allows PE_MUSTAN.A to infect networks and device-sharing computers easily – provided that they lack secure account passwords.

What PE_MUSTAN.A's Little File Additions Do to Wreck Up Your PC

As a virus, PE_MUSTAN.A can infect almost any type of EXE or executable file on your computer. PE_MUSTAN.A whitelists (prevents itself from infecting) specific files in locations that are central to the Windows OS, along with some common instant messengers and web browsers – most likely to avoid detection or serious system malfunctions. However, even with these restrictions, PE_MUSTAN.A is capable of being a danger to your PC by allowing criminals to control it through a remote server or use PE_MUSTAN.A to install other PC threats.

SpywareRemove.com malware experts also have observed PE_MUSTAN.A deleting Registry entries for common anti-virus programs, which causes the associated applications to be inoperable. If you're unable to restore your Registry from a backup, you may be required to reinstall the programs that are affected by PE_MUSTAN.A's attack.

As a file infector that's confirmed to spread through networks and removable devices, PE_MUSTAN.A should be contained so that PE_MUSTAN.A can't spread to associated PCs quickly. SpywareRemove.com malware researchers stress the usefulness of anti-malware software and strong password security for this purpose. PE_MUSTAN.A can be deleted from infected files, without harming the files in question, by using suitable anti-virus products.

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:

%System%\wscript.exe as %System%\wmicuclt.exe

File name: %System%\wscript.exe as %System%\wmicuclt.exe
File type: Executable File
Mime Type: unknown/exe
Group: Malware file

Registry Modifications

The following newly produced Registry Values are:

HKEY..\..\{Value}HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\wmicucltsvc ImagePath = "%System%\wmicuclt.exe"HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Select p = "{login passwords}HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Select v = "{virus code}"HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Select ext = "{plugin code obtained from C&C}"HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Select pu = "{login usernames} - {login passwords}"HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Select rmt = "{date and time of execution}"HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Select plg = "{plugin code obtained from C&C}"HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\CurrentControlSet\Services {Security Service} = "4"HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\CurrentVersion\Run {AntiVirus Application} = "{Path of AntiVirus Application}"HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Select {ip address of targeted victims} = {date and time of execution}HKEY..\..\..\..{Subkeys}HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\wmicucltsvc