Virus.VBS.Monopoly

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: 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

Another Melissa-like worm. It spreads through e-mail using MS Outlook client. The main difference between the two worms is this one is written in Visual Basic Script instead of MS Office macro-language. Most of its code is encrypted to make analysis more difficult.

The virus arrives to a computer as an e-mail message with an attached "MONOPOLY.VBS" file. When this file (containing VBScript) is executed, it creates an image file "MONOPOLY.JPG" in a temporary folder. It also creates another two files "MONOPOLY.WSH" and "MONOPOLY.VBE". The VBE file contains encrypted VBScript and executes with a WSH file.

When VBE is executing, it displays the message:

Bill Gates is guilty of monopoly. Here is the proof

Then it displays picture from the image file. The picture shows Bill Gates' face on a Monopoly game board.

The worm's spreading routine is very close to the routine of "Melissa" virus. Worm sends itself to every address from the Outlook address book. The message contains the attached file "MONOPOLY.VBS".

Subject:
Bill Gates joke
Text:
Bill Gates is guilty of monopoly. Here is the proof. :-)

Warm also sends another message to the following addresses:

monopoly@mixmail.com, monpooly@telebot.com, mooponly@ciudad.com.ar,
mloponoy@usa.net, yloponom@gnwmail.com

In this message, the worm sends a list of names and addresses from an Outlook address book, ICQ UIN files and information obtained in the Windows registry:

• Registered user name and organization
• Network computer name
• DVD region
• Country and area code
• Language
• Windows version
• Internet Explorer start page

After all this, the worm modifies the system registry:

"HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESoftwareOUTLOOK.Monopoly" = "True"

In this way, the worm marks a computer and will not send messages from this computer next time.

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Demonstrations of the virus effects:

monopoly.jpg

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