W32/Rbot-SW

Please follow the instructions for removing worms.

Change any data that may have become compromised.

Check your administrator passwords and review network security.

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/Rbot-SW is a Windows worm that spreads through networks protected by weak passwords and by the LSASS(MS04-011) security exploit and the RPC-DCOM(MS04-012) security exploit.

The worm has a backdoor component that allows a malicious user remote access to an infected computer via IRC channels while running in the background as a service process.

When run, W32/Rbot-SW moves itself to the Windows System folder and creates the following registry entries so as to run itself at user logon:

HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
cosine
cosine.exe

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunServices
cosine
cosine.exe

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
cosine
cosine.exe

When instructed by a remote attacker, W32/Rbot-SW attempts to perform the following functions:

start or terminate services
shutdown the computer
log keystrokes
launch Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks
download files from the internet and run them
harvest CD keys for computer games
steal system information
delete files
runs a SOCKS4 server

Sophos's anti-virus products include proactive protection technology, which can defend against new threats without requiring an update. Sophos customers have been protected against W32/Rbot-SW (detected as W32/Rbot-Fam) since version 3.87.