W32/Mytob-Q

Please follow the instructions for removing worms.

Replace the Hosts file from a backup or edit it in Notepad to remove the changes that the worm has made.

You will also need to edit the following registry entries, if they are present. Please read the warning about editing the registry.

At the taskbar, click Start|Run. Type 'Regedit' and press Return. The registry editor opens.

Before you edit the registry, you should make a backup. On the 'Registry' menu, click 'Export Registry File'. In the 'Export range' panel, click 'All', then save your registry as Backup.

Locate the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE entries:

HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunServices

and remove any reference to any file you deleted.

Each user has a registry area named HKEY_USERS\[code number indicating user]\. For each user locate the entry:

HKU\[code number]\Software\Microsoft\Windows\
CurrentVersion\Run\

and remove any reference to any file you deleted.

Close the registry editor.

W32/Mytob-Q is a mass-mailing worm and backdoor Trojan that targets users of Internet Relay Chat programs.

W32/Mytob-Q is capable of spreading through email and through various operating system vulnerabilities such as LSASS (MS04-011).

W32/Mytob-Q harvests email addresses from files on the infected computer and from the Windows address book. W32/Mytob-Q is a mass-mailing worm and backdoor Trojan that targets users of Internet Relay Chat programs.

When first run W32/Mytob-Q copies itself to the Windows system folder as msnmsgs.exe and creates the following registry entries:

HKCU\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa
MSN MESSENGER
msnmsgs.exe

HKCU\Software\Microsoft\OLE
MSN MESSENGER
msnmsgs.exe

HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
MSN MESSENGER
msnmsgs.exe

HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Ole
MSN MESSENGER
msnmsgs.exe

HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
MSN MESSENGER
msnmsgs.exe

HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunServices
MSN MESSENGER
msnmsgs.exe

HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa
MSN MESSENGER
msnmsgs.exe

W32/Mytob-Q copies itself to the root folder as:

funny pic.scr
photo album.scr
eminem vs 2pac.scr

and creates the helper file hellmsn.exe (detected by Sophos as W32/Mytob-H) in the same location.

W32/Mytob-Q also appends the following to the HOSTS file to deny access to security related websites:

127.0.0.1 www.symantec.com
127.0.0.1 securityresponse.symantec.com
127.0.0.1 symantec.com
127.0.0.1 www.sophos.com
127.0.0.1 sophos.com
127.0.0.1 www.mcafee.com
127.0.0.1 mcafee.com
127.0.0.1 liveupdate.symantecliveupdate.com
127.0.0.1 www.viruslist.com
127.0.0.1 viruslist.com
127.0.0.1 viruslist.com
127.0.0.1 f-secure.com
127.0.0.1 www.f-secure.com
127.0.0.1 kaspersky.com
127.0.0.1 www.avp.com
127.0.0.1 www.kaspersky.com
127.0.0.1 avp.com
127.0.0.1 www.networkassociates.com
127.0.0.1 networkassociates.com
127.0.0.1 www.ca.com
127.0.0.1 ca.com
127.0.0.1 mast.mcafee.com
127.0.0.1 my-etrust.com
127.0.0.1 www.my-etrust.com
127.0.0.1 download.mcafee.com
127.0.0.1 dispatch.mcafee.com
127.0.0.1 secure.nai.com
127.0.0.1 nai.com
127.0.0.1 www.nai.com
127.0.0.1 update.symantec.com
127.0.0.1 updates.symantec.com
127.0.0.1 us.mcafee.com
127.0.0.1 liveupdate.symantec.com
127.0.0.1 customer.symantec.com
127.0.0.1 rads.mcafee.com
127.0.0.1 trendmicro.com
127.0.0.1 www.microsoft.com
127.0.0.1 www.trendmicro.com

W32/Mytob-Q is capable of spreading through email and through various operating system vulnerabilities such as LSASS (MS04-011). Email sent by W32/Mytob-Q has the following properties:

Subject line:

Hello
thanks!
read it immediately

Message text:

This is a multi-part message in MIME format

Mail transaction failed. Partial message is available.

The message contains Unicode characters and has been sent as a binary attachment.

The message cannot be represented in 7-bit ASCII encoding and has been sent as a binary attachment.

The original message was included as an attachment.

I have received your document. The corrected document is attached.

The attached file consists of a base name followed by the extensions PIF, SCR, EXE or ZIP. The worm may optionally create double extensions where the first extension is DOC, TXT or HTM and the final extension is PIF, SCR, EXE or ZIP.

W32/Mytob-Q harvests email addresses from files on the infected computer and from the Windows address book.