Alert level

Trojan:JS/FakeXPA


Encyclopedia entry
Updated: Feb 25, 2009  |  Published: Feb 23, 2009

Aliases
  • JS/Agent (AhnLab)
  • Virus.JS.FakeAV (other)
  • Adware.FakeAntiVirus.M (other)
  • Mal/FakeAvJs-A (Norman)

Alert Level (?)
Severe

Antimalware protection details
Microsoft recommends that you download the latest definitions to get protected.
Detection last updated:
Definition: 1.69.200.0
Released: Oct 27, 2009 		Detection initially created:
Definition: 1.51.399.0
Released: Feb 10, 2009

Summary

Trojan:JS/FakeXPA is detection for JavaScript that displays a misleading full-screen alert that attempts to convince the user that the computer contains malicious programs. A link may be provided within the alert that directs users to a Web site promoting a rogue security program known as Trojan:Win32/FakeXPA.

Top

Symptoms

Symptoms vary among different distributions of this malware, however, the presence of the following symptoms (or similar) may indicate the presence of this malware:
  • Display of the following images/dialogs, or similar (for example):

    ATTENTION! If your computer is struck by the spyware, you could suffer data loss, unusual  PC behaviour, PC freezes and crashes.Detect and remove viruses before they damage your computer!Antivirus 2009 will perform a 100% FREE and quick scan  of your PC for Viruses, Spyware and Adware.
    Do you want to install Antivirus 2009 to scan your computer for malware now? (Recommended)

Top

Technical Information (Analysis)

Trojan:JS/FakeXPA is detection for JavaScript that displays a misleading full-screen alert that attempts to convince the user that the computer contains malicious programs. A link may be provided within the alert that directs users to a Web site promoting a rogue security program known as Trojan:Win32/FakeXPA.
 
Installation
Trojan:JS/FakeXPA does not copy itself to folders and does not modify the registry or modify the computer to load during Windows start.
 
Payload
Redirects User
JS/FakeXPA displays a message containing text similar to the following:
 
ATTENTION! If your computer is struck by the spyware, you could suffer data loss, unusual  PC behaviour, PC freezes and crashes.Detect and remove viruses before they damage your computer!Antivirus 2009 will perform a 100% FREE and quick scan  of your PC for Viruses, Spyware and Adware.
Do you want to install Antivirus 2009 to scan your computer for malware now? (Recommended)
 
The user is redirected via a relative link to a Web site promoting a rogue security program known as Win32/FakeXPA.
 
Analysis by Dan Kurc

Top

Prevention

Take the following steps to help prevent infection on your system:
  • Enable a firewall on your computer.
  • Get the latest computer updates for all your installed software.
  • Use up-to-date antivirus software.
  • Use caution when opening attachments and accepting file transfers.
  • Use caution when clicking on links to web pages.
  • Avoid downloading pirated software.
  • Protect yourself against social engineering attacks.
  • Use strong passwords.
Enable a firewall on your computer
Use a third-party firewall product or turn on the Microsoft Windows Internet Connection Firewall.
To turn on the Windows Firewall in Windows Vista
  1. Click Start, and click Control Panel.
  2. Click Security.
  3. Click Turn Windows Firewall on or off.
  4. Select On.
  5. Click OK.
To turn on the Internet Connection Firewall in Windows XP
  1. Click Start, and click Control Panel.
  2. Click Network and Internet Connections. If you do not see Network and Internet Connections, click Switch to Category View.
  3. Click Change Windows Firewall Settings.
  4. Select On.
  5. Click OK.
Get the latest computer updates
Updates help protect your computer from viruses, worms, and other threats as they are discovered. It is important to install updates for all the software that is installed in your computer. These are usually available from vendor websites.
 
You can use the Automatic Updates feature in Windows to automatically download future Microsoft security updates while your computer is on and connected to the Internet.
To turn on Automatic Updates in Windows Vista
  1. Click Start, and click Control Panel. 
  2. Click System and Maintainance.
  3. Click Windows Updates.
  4. Select a setting. Microsoft recommends selecting Install updates automatically and choose a time that is convenient for you. If you do not choose Automatic, but you choose to be notified when updates are ready, a notification balloon appears when new downloads are available to install. Click the notification balloon to review and install the updates.
To turn on Automatic Updates in Windows XP
  1. Click Start, and click Control Panel. 
  2. Click System.
  3. Click Automatic Updates.
  4. Select a setting. Microsoft recommends selecting Automatic. If you do not choose Automatic, but you choose to be notified when updates are ready, a notification balloon appears when new downloads are available to install. Click the notification balloon to review and install the updates.
Use up-to-date antivirus software
Most antivirus software can detect and prevent infection by known malicious software. To help protect you from infection, you should always run antivirus software that is updated with the latest signature files. Antivirus software is available from several sources. For more information, see http://www.microsoft.com/protect/computer/viruses/vista.mspx.
Use caution when opening attachments and accepting file transfers
Exercise caution with e-mail and attachments received from unknown sources, or received unexpectedly from known sources.  Use extreme caution when accepting file transfers from known or unknown sources.
Use caution when clicking on links to web pages
Exercise caution with links to web pages that you receive from unknown sources, especially if the links are to a web page that you are not familiar with or are suspicious of. Malicious software may be installed in your system simply by visiting a web page with harmful content.
Avoid downloading pirated software
Threats may also be bundled with software and files that are available for download on various torrent sites. Downloading "cracked" or "pirated" software from these sites carries not only the risk of being infected with malware, but is also illegal. For more information, see 'The risks of obtaining and using pirated software'.
Protect yourself from social engineering attacks
While attackers may attempt to exploit vulnerabilities in hardware or software in order to compromise a system, they also attempt to exploit vulnerabilities in human behavior in order to do the same. When an attacker attempts to take advantage of human behavior in order to persuade the affected user to perform an action of the attacker's choice, it is known as 'social engineering'. Essentially, social engineering is an attack against the human interface of the targeted system. For more information, see 'What is social engineering?'.
Use Strong Passwords
Attackers may try to gain access to your Windows account by guessing your password. It is therefore important that you use a strong password – one that cannot be easily guessed by an attacker. A strong password is one that has at least 8 characters, and combines letters, numbers, and symbols. For more information, see http://www.microsoft.com/protect/yourself/password/create.mspx.

Top

Recovery

Use Microsoft Windows Defender, the Windows Live safety scanner (http://onecare.live.com/site/en-us/default.htm), or another up-to-date scanning and removal tool to detect and remove these threats and other unwanted software from your computer. For more information on Microsoft security products, see http://www.microsoft.com/protect/products/computer/default.mspx.
 
For information on additional support options worldwide, see http://www.microsoft.com/protect/support/default.mspx.

Top