Virus.VBS.FriendMess

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.

Read more

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 dangerous Internet worm is written in Visual Basic Script language. For spreading, the worm uses MS Outlook 98/2000. If another mailer is used, the worm is not able to spread, but runs its payload routine (see below).

The worm arrives to a computer as an e-mail message:

Subject: FRIEND MESSAGE
Body: A real friend send this message to you.

The message has an attached "FRIEND_MESSAGE.TXT.vbs" file. Depending upon system settings, a real extension of the attached file (".vbs") may not be shown. In this case, the filename of an attached file is displayed as a "FRIEND_MESSAGE.TXT".

The attached file contains script written in Visual Basic Script language. Upon being activated by double clicking on an attached file, the script gains control and the worm begins work.

The worm creates the file "FRIEND_MESSAGE.TXT.vbs" in the Windows system directory, and writes its own code there (this file is used later by a worm for spreading its copies). Then the worm displays the following message:

If you receive this message remember forever: A precious friend
in all the world like only you! So think that!

After this, the worm runs its spreading routine. This routine gains access to MS Outlook and sends infected messages to all recipients from the Outlook address book. These messages look the same as the arrived one (see above). While spreading, the worm stores infected-recipient addresses in the system registry and does not send messages to already-infected recipients.

The worm contains a payload routine that overwrites a "C:AUTOEXEC.BAT" file with commands that delete all files in the Windows directory, Windows system directory and Windows temporary directory. These commands in the "C:AUTOEXEC.BAT" file are executed upon system start-up.

Read more

Find out the statistics of the vulnerabilities spreading in your region on statistics.securelist.com