W32/Rbot-GS

Please follow the instructions for removing worms.

You will also need to edit the following registry entries, if 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\
Microsoft Update Machine = scvhost.exe
HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunServices\
Microsoft Update Machine = scvhost.exe

and delete them if they exist.

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

HKCU\[code number]\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\
Microsoft Update Machine = scvhost.exe

and delete it if it exists.

Close the registry editor.

• Download and install the Microsoft patches mentioned. On standalone computers, update with all relevant security patches from Windows update.
• Check your administrator passwords and review network security.

W32/Rbot-GS spreads by exploiting vulnerabilities, network services with weak passwords and backdoors opened by other worms.
W32/Rbot-GS allows unauthorised remote access to the infected computer.
The operating system vulnerabilities exploited by W32/Rbot-GS are addressed by MS04-011, MS03-039, MS03-007 and MS01-059. W32/Rbot-GS is a network worm and backdoor Trojan for the Windows platform.
W32/Rbot-GS allows a malicious user remote access to an infected computer.

The worm copies itself to scvhost.exe in the Windows system folder and creates the following registry entries to run itself on startup:

HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\
Microsoft Update Machine = scvhost.exe
HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunServices\
Microsoft Update Machine = scvhost.exe
HKCU\Software\MicrosoftWindows\CurrentVersion\Run\
Microsoft Update Machine = scvhost.exe

W32/Rbot-GS spreads using a variety of techniques including exploiting weak passwords on computers and SQL servers, exploiting operating system vulnerabilites (including DCOM-RPC, LSASS, WebDAV and UPNP) and using backdoors opened by other worms or Trojans.

W32/Rbot-GS can be controlled by a remote attacker over IRC channels. The infected computer can be used to perform any of the following functions:

Proxy server (SOCKS4)
HTTP server
File system manipulation
Port scanner
DDoS floods (TCP,UDP,SYN)
Remote shell (RLOGIN)
Packet sniffer
Key logger

Patches for the operating system vulnerabilities exploited by W32/Rbot-GS can be obtained from Microsoft at:
MS04-011
MS03-039
MS03-007
MS01-059