Fake Chinese Word Processing App installs an Infostealer Trojan

The Sonicwall Capture Labs Research team has come across a Chinese word processor that comes packaged with an infostealer. This word processor comes as a Nullsoft installer and appears to be a legitimate notepad or Word application alternative.

Infection Cycle:

This Trojan comes as an NSIS installer and uses the following icon:

Upon execution, it guides the user through a typical software installation prompts and then launches the word processing app window.

However, upon further inspection, it appears that it launched the word processing app alongside another copy of AllRoundPad.exe.

Simultaneously, several connections to remote servers were made.

This Trojan has accessed personal information including browsing history, user IP, location among others. It also attempts to access and modify the system’s internet settings.

It creates .tmp files in the %temp% directory with information gathered regarding the victim’s machine. These are then later sent out to a remote server.

This installation comes with an uninstaller. However using the uninstaller only removes the word processing app and leaves behind a copy of the Trojan in the %temp% directory which is responsible for all the malicious behaviors observed.

We urge our users to only use official and reputable websites as their source of software programs. Always be vigilant and cautious when installing software applications particularly if you are not certain of the source.

SonicWall Capture Labs provides protection against this threat via the following signature:

• GAV: Chindo.AB_4 (Trojan)

This threat is also detected by SonicWALL Capture ATP w/RTDMI and the Capture Client endpoint solutions.

Security News

The SonicWall Capture Labs Threat Research Team gathers, analyzes and vets cross-vector threat information from the SonicWall Capture Threat network, consisting of global devices and resources, including more than 1 million security sensors in nearly 200 countries and territories. The research team identifies, analyzes, and mitigates critical vulnerabilities and malware daily through in-depth research, which drives protection for all SonicWall customers. In addition to safeguarding networks globally, the research team supports the larger threat intelligence community by releasing weekly deep technical analyses of the most critical threats to small businesses, providing critical knowledge that defenders need to protect their networks.