Passtealer.AI is a Trojan, which although seemingly inoffensive, can actually carry out attacks and intrusions. It captures certain information entered or saved by the user, with the corresponding threat to privacy:
passwords saved by certain Windows services; email addresses. It sends the gathered information to a remote user by any available means: email, FTP, etc. It reduces the security level of the computer:
it notifies the attacker that the computer has been compromised and is ready to be used maliciously; it changes system permissions, decreasing the security level. It uses stealth techniques to avoid being detected by the user: - It uses techniques included in its code to hide itself while it is active.
- It deletes the original file from which it was run once it is installed on the computer.
It uses several methods in order to avoid detection by antivirus companies: - It prevents scanning tools from running, such as Windows Registry Editor, FileMonitor, etc.
- It terminates its own execution if it detects that a memory dump program is running, such as Procdump.
- It terminates its own execution if it detects that a debugging program is active.
Passtealer.AI uses the following propagation or distribution methods: - Exploiting vulnerabilities with the intervention of the user: exploiting vulnerabilities in file formats or applications. To exploit them successfully it needs the intervention of the user: opening files, viewing malicious web pages, reading emails, etc.
- Via Internet, exploiting remote vulnerabilities: attacking random IP addresses, in which it tries to insert a copy of itself by exploiting one or more vulnerabilities.
|