Email-Worm.VBS.Lucky

Parent class: VirWare

Viruses and worms are malicious programs that self-replicate on computers or via computer networks without the user being aware; each subsequent copy of such malicious programs is also able to self-replicate. Malicious programs which spread via networks or infect remote machines when commanded to do so by the “owner” (e.g. Backdoors) or programs that create multiple copies that are unable to self-replicate are not part of the Viruses and Worms subclass. The main characteristic used to determine whether or not a program is classified as a separate behaviour within the Viruses and Worms subclass is how the program propagates (i.e. how the malicious program spreads copies of itself via local or network resources.) Most known worms are spread as files sent as email attachments, via a link to a web or FTP resource, via a link sent in an ICQ or IRC message, via P2P file sharing networks etc. Some worms spread as network packets; these directly penetrate the computer memory, and the worm code is then activated. Worms use the following techniques to penetrate remote computers and launch copies of themselves: social engineering (for example, an email message suggesting the user opens an attached file), exploiting network configuration errors (such as copying to a fully accessible disk), and exploiting loopholes in operating system and application security. Viruses can be divided in accordance with the method used to infect a computer:

• file viruses
• boot sector viruses
• macro viruses
• script viruses

Any program within this subclass can have additional Trojan functions. It should also be noted that many worms use more than one method in order to spread copies via networks.

Class: Email-Worm

Email-Worms spread via email. The worm sends a copy of itself as an attachment to an email message or a link to its file on a network resource (e.g. a URL to an infected file on a compromised website or a hacker-owned website). In the first case, the worm code activates when the infected attachment is opened (launched). In the second case, the code is activated when the link to the infected file is opened. In both case, the result is the same: the worm code is activated. Email-Worms use a range of methods to send infected emails. The most common are: using a direct connection to a SMTP server using the email directory built into the worm’s code using MS Outlook services using Windows MAPI functions. Email-Worms use a number of different sources to find email addresses to which infected emails will be sent: the address book in MS Outlook a WAB address database .txt files stored on the hard drive: the worm can identify which strings in text files are email addresses emails in the inbox (some Email-Worms even “reply” to emails found in the inbox) Many Email-Worms use more than one of the sources listed above. There are also other sources of email addresses, such as address books associated with web-based email services.

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Platform: VBS

Visual Basic Scripting Edition (VBScript) is a scripting language interpreted by Windows Script Host. VBScript is widely used to create scripts on Microsoft Windows operating systems.

Description

Technical Details

This is a family of Internet worm that spread via e-mail by sending infected messages from infected computers. While spreading, the worms use MS Outlook and send themselves to all addresses that are stored in the MS Outlook Address Book. As a result, an infected computer sends as many messages to as many addresses are maintained in the MS Outlook contacts list.

There are two worm variants known. Both have bugs in their code and are not able to spread, but these bugs can be easily fixed by a hacker.

The worms are written in the scripting language "Visual Basic Script" (VBS), and they work only on computers on which the Windows Scripting Host (WSH) is installed. In Windwos 98 and Windows 2000, WHS is installed by default. To spread, the worms access MS Outlook and use its functions and address lists. This is available in Outlook 98/2000 only, so the worms are able to spread only when one of these MS Oulook versions is installed.

Spreading

The worm arrives to a computer as an e-mail message with an attached VBS file that is the worm itself. The message in the original worm version contains:

The Subject: Prinz Charles Are Die
Message body: The newest Message for Cool User's. Lucky2000
Attached file name: COOL_NOTEPAD_DEMO.TXT.vbs

Depending on system settings, real extension of an attached file (".vbs") may not be shown. In this case, the filename of the attached file is displayed as "COOL_NOTEPAD_DEMO.TXT".

Upon being activated by a user (by double clicking on the attached file), the worm dispalys the following message:

eXposed
eXposed is being installed

Then it creates a shortcut on the desktop to a PIF-file that exits Windows. The worm sets a shortcut icon to a non-existing file, so the shortcut has a standard icon - a windows flag with white background. After this, the worm displays the following message:

CLICK THE BLUE BOTTLE ICON ON THE DESKTOP OR YOUR HARD DRIVE WILL BE LOST!
eXposed IS A VIRUS IT WILL DAMAGE YOUR COMPUTER

Then the worm begins speading - it opens MS Outlook, gets access to the Address Book, gets all addresses from there and sends messages with its attached copy to all of them. The message subject, body and attached file name are the same as above.

The worm also installs itself into the system. It creates its copy in the Windows directory with the "Prinz_Charles_Are_Die.TXT.vbs" name:

This file is then registered in the Windows auto-run section in the system registry:

HKLMSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionRunPrinz_Charles_Are_Die = Prinz_Charles.Are.Die.TXT.vbs

As a result the worm is re-activated each time Windows boots up.

Other variants

The worm itself is a text script program, and it is spread in text source form. The worm's code may be easily modified by hackers, and as a result, there are many variants of the worm that may have appeared. Usually only minor changes are made.

I-Worm.Lucky.b

This worm variant is very close to the first one. Upon being activated, it displays other messages:

Price
Price are here

and:

CLICK THE BLUE BOTTLE ICON ON THE DESKTOP AND YOU WIN ONE MILLION DOLLAR !!!

The infected message contains:

The Subject: Won_a_Price
Message body: One Million Dollar for you. Lucky2000
Attached file name: Won_a_Price.TXT.vbs

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