TrojanSpy:Win32/SSonce.C

Posted: November 6, 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:	9/10
Infected PCs:	77

First Seen:	November 6, 2012
OS(es) Affected:	Windows

TrojanSpy:Win32/SSonce.C is a spyware Trojan that collects various types of confidential information from the compromised PC, all without displaying symptoms of its attacks. Besides stealing personal data, TrojanSpy:Win32/SSonce.C also has been found to exhibit downloading features that could be used to install other malware onto your computer. SpywareRemove.com malware researchers especially encourage you to update your anti-malware software against TrojanSpy:Win32/SSonce.C and its relatives, which feature numerous updates that are designed to let them evade anti-malware detection. Despite its updates, TrojanSpy:Win32/SSonce.C uses old code from a 2010-era Trojan and trustworthy brands of anti-malware scanners should be able to delete TrojanSpy:Win32/SSonce.C easily.

TrojanSpy:Win32/SSonce.C: a Spy for Hire with Nothing to Lose

TrojanSpy:Win32/SSonce.C doesn't have functions for distributing itself and requires separate PC threats (such as Trojan droppers, malicious sites or spam links) to be installed on new computers. Even though TrojanSpy:Win32/SSonce.C is based on a Trojan that was seen as far back as two years ago, development for TrojanSpy:Win32/SSonce.C is ongoing and appears to be focused on evading current detection databases from major anti-malware companies.

TrojanSpy:Win32/SSonce.C's code is freely-distributed and also has been used in similar Trojans, such as Backdoor:Win32/Bezigate.A, Backdoor:Win32/Talsab.C and Backdoor:Win32/Nosrawec.C. Despite this, TrojanSpy:Win32/SSonce.C also is sold as a product for hire to any aspiring criminal with the money to burn, and some of its most advanced features are reserved for paying users.

SpywareRemove.com malware analysts have found that most of TrojanSpy:Win32/SSonce.C's functions are used for the theft of personal information, such as:

Taking screenshots (also known as screen grabbing or screen capturing).
Uploading/downloading files from or to your computer. This can include the installation of other malware besides TrojanSpy:Win32/SSonce.C.
Text information also has a high chance of being compromised by TrojanSpy:Win32/SSonce.C via keylogging and/or form-grabbing attacks. In general, passwords that may have been compromised by TrojanSpy:Win32/SSonce.C should be changed immediately after deleting TrojanSpy:Win32/SSonce.C from your computer.

When TrojanSpy:Win32/SSonce.C Has More Control Over Your Computer Than You Do

While TrojanSpy:Win32/SSonce.C is mostly designed to steal information, TrojanSpy:Win32/SSonce.C also may disable your security software and features. Particularly, SpywareRemove.com malware experts have seen signs of TrojanSpy:Win32/SSonce.C disabling anti-virus scanners and (only in cases of premium versions of TrojanSpy:Win32/SSonce.C) controlling mouse/keyboard interface input. These issues cause your computer to be vulnerable to other attacks besides those that are included in TrojanSpy:Win32/SSonce.C's range.

Because TrojanSpy:Win32/SSonce.C may be difficult for outdated anti-malware programs to detect, you should take care to update your software before you make an effort to remove a TrojanSpy:Win32/SSonce.C infection. SpywareRemove.com malware researchers consider TrojanSpy:Win32/SSonce.C a significant security risk and recommend that you do so this as soon as possible.

TrojanSpy:Win32/SSonce.C also may be detected by the alias Sus.UnkPacker – a reference to the obfuscation that TrojanSpy:Win32/SSonce.C uses for avoiding detection by security-related programs.

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 folder]\update.exe

File name: [system folder]\update.exe
File type: Executable File
Mime Type: unknown/exe
Group: Malware file

Registry Modifications

The following newly produced Registry Values are:

HKEY..\..\{Value}HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run "Update.exe" = "c:\windows\system32\update.exe"