Virus.Java.BeanHive

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: Virus

Viruses replicate on the resources of the local machine. Unlike worms, viruses do not use network services to propagate or penetrate other computers. A copy of a virus will reach remote computers only if the infected object is, for some reason unrelated to the virus function, activated on another computer. For example: when infecting accessible disks, a virus penetrates a file located on a network resource a virus copies itself to a removable storage device or infects a file on a removable device a user sends an email with an infected attachment.

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Platform: Java

Java is a platform for developing and running programs written in the Java programming language.

Description

Technical Details

The technology used in this virus has several advantages. This multi-component way of infection allows to the virus to hide its code in infected files: the length of files grows by small value, and after brief look the inserted virus code seems to be harmless.

The combination starter-main also allows to virus writer(s) to "upgrade" the virus with new versions just by replacing virus main code on their server.

It is necessary to note, that the virus is able to replicate only under very limited conditions. It is absolutely not able to infect the system being run as Java applet under any of popular Web browsers. The standard security protection cancels any attempts to access disk files, or ever to download remote Java file.

The virus is able to spread only being run as a disk file as Java application by using Java machine.

Technical details

The virus starter is a short Java program about 40 lines of code. When it takes control, it connects to the remote Web server, downloads main virus code that is saved there in the BeanHive.class file and runs it as a subroutine.

The main virus code is also divided into six parts and stored in six different Java files. These files are downloaded from Web server and run in case of need:

BeanHive.class             : searching for files in directory tree
+--- e89a763c.class       : file format parsing
|--- a98b34f2.class : file access functions
|--- be93a29f.class : preparing file for infection (part1)
|--- c8f67b45.class : preparing file for infection (part2)
+--- dc98e742.class : inserting virus starter into victim file

While infecting the virus parses internal Java formats, writes into the file the starter's code as a "loadClass" subroutine and adds to file constructor's code the call for this subroutine: loadClass("BeanHive"). The passed parameter ("BeanHive") points to the name of remote file (on the Web server) with the main virus code.

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