VBS.Bingd@mm

SUMMARY

VBS.Bingd@mm is a mass-mailing worm that spreads using Microsoft Outlook. It modifies the registry and sends itself to the first seven addresses in the Microsoft Outlook Address Book. It is written in Visual Basic Script.

Behavior

Symptoms

Transmission

Protection

• Virus Definitions (LiveUpdate™ Weekly) July 30, 2003
• Virus Definitions (Intelligent Updater) July 30, 2003

Threat Assessment

Wild

• Wild Level: Low
• Number of Infections: 0 - 49
• Number of Sites: 0 - 2
• Geographical Distribution: Low
• Threat Containment: Easy
• Removal: Difficult

Damage

• Damage Level: Medium
• Large Scale E-mailing: Sends mail to the first seven addresses in the Outlook Address book.
• Degrades Performance: Affects look and feel of Microsoft Internet Explorer.
• Causes System Instability: Disables various Windows functionality.

Distribution

• Distribution Level: High
• Subject of Email: Chinese text
• Name of Attachment: Bingdian.vbs
• Size of Attachment: 3,878 bytes

TECHNICAL DETAILS

When VBS.Bingd@mm runs, it performs the following actions:

1. Copies itself as %Windir%Bingdian.vbs.
   
   NOTE: %Windir% is a variable. The worm locates the Windows installation folder (by default, this is C:Windows or C:Winnt) and copies itself to that location.
   
   
2. Adds the value:
   
   "bingdian"="%Windir%Bingdian.vbs"
   
   to the registry key:
   
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionRun
   
   so that the worm runs when you start Windows.
   
   
3. Modifies the following registry keys and values:
   
   • HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersion
     PoliciesExplorerNoRun,1
   • HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersion
     PoliciesExplorerNoClose,1
   • HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersion
     PoliciesExplorerNoDrives,63000000
   • HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersion
     PoliciesSystemDisableRegistryTools,1
   • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersion
     RunScanRegistry,""|
   • KEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersion
     PoliciesExplorerNoLogOf",1
   • HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersion
     PoliciesWinOldAppNoRealMode,1
   • HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersion
     PoliciesExplorerNoDesktop,1
   • HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersion
     PoliciesWinOldAppDisabled,1
   • HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersion
     PoliciesExplorerNoSetTaskBar,1
   • HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersion
     PoliciesExplorerNoViewContextMenu,1
   • HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersion
     PoliciesExplorerNoSetFolders,1
   • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESoftwareCLASSES.reg,"txtfile"
     HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersion
     WinlogonLegalNoticeCaption,Welcome to bing dian BBS"
     HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersion
     WinlogonLegalNoticeText,"Welcome to bing dian BBS"
     
     
4. Searches for Microsoft Outlook. If it is installed, the worm will send itself to the first seven entries in the address book. The subject of the email is in Chinese
   ()
   
   Roughly translated, this means "Are you coming tonight?"
   
   The body of the email is also in Chinese:
   
   
   
   It asks the recipient to read the attached letter.
   
   The attachment is Bingdian.vbs.
   
   
5. Modifies the following registry keys and values:
   
   • HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwarePoliciesMicrosoftInternet Explorer
     RestrictionsNoBrowserContextMenu,1
   • HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwarePoliciesMicrosoftInternet Explorer
     RestrictionsNoBrowserOptions,1
   • HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwarePoliciesMicrosoftInternet Explorer
     RestrictionsNoBrowserSaveAs,1
   • HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwarePoliciesMicrosoftInternet Explorer
     RestrictionsNoFileOpen,1
   • HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwarePoliciesMicrosoftInternet Explorer
     Control PanelAdvanced,1
   • HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwarePoliciesMicrosoftInternet Explorer
     Control PanelCache Internet,1
   • HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwarePoliciesMicrosoftInternet Explorer
     Control PanelAutoConfig,1
   • HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwarePoliciesMicrosoftInternet Explorer
     Control PanelHomePage,1
   • HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwarePoliciesMicrosoftInternet Explorer
     Control PanelHistory,1
   • HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwarePoliciesMicrosoftInternet Explorer
     Control PanelConnwiz Admin Lock,1
   • HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwarePoliciesMicrosoftInternet Explorer
     Control PanelSecurityTab,1
   • HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwarePoliciesMicrosoftInternet Explorer
     Control PanelResetWebSettings,1
   • HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwarePoliciesMicrosoftInternet Explorer
     RestrictionsNoViewSource,1
   • HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwarePoliciesMicrosoftInternet Explorer
     InfodeliveryRestrictionsNoAddingSubScriptions,1
   • HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersion
     PoliciesExplorerNoFileMenu,1
     
     These changes affect the operation of Microsoft Internet Explorer.

Recommendations

Symantec Security Response encourages all users and administrators to adhere to the following basic security "best practices":

• Turn off and remove unneeded services. By default, many operating systems install auxiliary services that are not critical, such as an FTP server, telnet, and a Web server. These services are avenues of attack. If they are removed, blended threats have less avenues of attack and you have fewer services to maintain through patch updates.
• If a blended threat exploits one or more network services, disable, or block access to, those services until a patch is applied.
• Always keep your patch levels up-to-date, especially on computers that host public services and are accessible through the firewall, such as HTTP, FTP, mail, and DNS services (for example, all Windows-based computers should have the current Service Pack installed.). Additionally, please apply any security updates that are mentioned in this writeup, in trusted Security Bulletins, or on vendor Web sites.
• Enforce a password policy. Complex passwords make it difficult to crack password files on compromised computers. This helps to prevent or limit damage when a computer is compromised.
• Configure your email server to block or remove email that contains file attachments that are commonly used to spread viruses, such as .vbs, .bat, .exe, .pif and .scr files.
• Isolate infected computers quickly to prevent further compromising your organization. Perform a forensic analysis and restore the computers using trusted media.
• Train employees not to open attachments unless they are expecting them. Also, do not execute software that is downloaded from the Internet unless it has been scanned for viruses. Simply visiting a compromised Web site can cause infection if certain browser vulnerabilities are not patched.

REMOVAL

What you need to do depends on whether VBS.Bingd@mm has actually executed.

If VBS.Bingd@mm has already executed
If VBS.Bingd@mm has run, it is possible that you will no longer be able to start Windows. Even if you can start Windows, once VBS.Bingd@mm runs, it makes numerous changes to the registry that affect system usage and the operation of both Windows Explorer and Internet Explorer.

In this situation you may need to re-install the operating system and Internet Explorer.

Refer to the "Additional information" section below for a complete list of the default settings for the keys that the worm changed.


If VBS.Bingd@mm has not yet executed
The following instructions pertain to all current and recent Symantec antivirus products, including the Symantec AntiVirus and Norton AntiVirus product lines.

1. Disable System Restore (Windows Me/XP).
2. Update the virus definitions.
3. Run a full system scan and delete all the files detected as VBS.Bingd@mm.

For specific details on each of these steps, read the following instructions.

1. Disabling System Restore (Windows Me/XP)
If you are running Windows Me or Windows XP, we recommend that you temporarily turn off System Restore. Windows Me/XP uses this feature, which is enabled by default, to restore the files on your computer in case they become damaged. If a virus, worm, or Trojan infects a computer, System Restore may back up the virus, worm, or Trojan on the computer.

Windows prevents outside programs, including antivirus programs, from modifying System Restore. Therefore, antivirus programs or tools cannot remove threats in the System Restore folder. As a result, System Restore has the potential of restoring an infected file on your computer, even after you have cleaned the infected files from all the other locations.

Also, a virus scan may detect a threat in the System Restore folder even though you have removed the threat.

For instructions on how to turn off System Restore, read your Windows documentation, or one of the following articles:

• "How to disable or enable Windows Me System Restore"
• "How to turn off or turn on Windows XP System Restore"

For additional information, and an alternative to disabling Windows Me System Restore, see the Microsoft Knowledge Base article, "Antivirus Tools Cannot Clean Infected Files in the _Restore Folder," Article ID: Q263455.

2. Updating the virus definitions
Symantec Security Response fully tests all the virus definitions for quality assurance before they are posted to our servers. There are two ways to obtain the most recent virus definitions:

• Running LiveUpdate, which is the easiest way to obtain virus definitions: These virus definitions are posted to the LiveUpdate servers once each week (usually on Wednesdays), unless there is a major virus outbreak. To determine whether definitions for this threat are available by LiveUpdate, refer to the Virus Definitions (LiveUpdate).
• Downloading the definitions using the Intelligent Updater: The Intelligent Updater virus definitions are posted on U.S. business days (Monday through Friday). You should download the definitions from the Symantec Security Response Web site and manually install them. To determine whether definitions for this threat are available by the Intelligent Updater, refer to the Virus Definitions (Intelligent Updater).
  
  The Intelligent Updater virus definitions are available: Read "How to update virus definition files using the Intelligent Updater" for detailed instructions.

3. Scanning for and deleting the infected files

1. Start your Symantec antivirus program and make sure that it is configured to scan all the files.
   • For Norton AntiVirus consumer products: Read the document, "How to configure Norton AntiVirus to scan all files."
   • For Symantec AntiVirus Enterprise products: Read the document, "How to verify that a Symantec Corporate antivirus product is set to scan all files."
2. Run a full system scan.
3. If any files are detected as infected with VBS.Bingd@mm, click Delete.