Troj/Agent-YCW

Posted: October 9, 2012

Threat Metric

The Threat Meter is a malware assessment that SpywareRemove.com's research team is able to give every identifiable malware threat. Our Threat Meter includes several criteria based off of specific malware threats to value their severity, reach and volume. The Threat Meter is able to give you a numerical breakdown of each threat's initial Threat Level, Detection Count, Volume Count, Trend Path and Percentage Impact. The overall ranking of each threat in the Threat Meter is a basic breakdown of how all threats are ranked within our own extensive malware database. The scoring for each specific malware threat can be easily compared to other emerging threats to draw a contrast in its particular severity. The Threat Meter is a useful tool in the endeavor of seeking a solution to remove a threat or pursue additional analytical research for all types of computer users.

The following fields listed on the Threat Meter containing a specific value, are explained in detail below:

Threat Level: The threat level scale goes from 1 to 10 where 10 is the highest level of severity and 1 is the lowest level of severity. Each specific level is relative to the threat's consistent assessed behaviors collected from SpyHunter's risk assessment model.

Detection Count: The collective number of confirmed and suspected cases of a particular malware threat. The detection count is calculated from infected PCs retrieved from diagnostic and scan log reports generated by SpyHunter.

Volume Count: Similar to the detection count, the Volume Count is specifically based on the number of confirmed and suspected threats infecting systems on a daily basis. High volume counts usually represent a popular threat but may or may not have infected a large number of systems. High detection count threats could lay dormant and have a low volume count. Criteria for Volume Count is relative to a daily detection count.

Trend Path: The Trend Path, utilizing an up arrow, down arrow or equal symbol, represents the level of recent movement of a particular threat. Up arrows represent an increase, down arrows represent a decline and the equal symbol represent no change to a threat's recent movement.

% Impact (Last 7 Days): This demonstrates a 7-day period change in the frequency of a malware threat infecting PCs. The percentage impact correlates directly to the current Trend Path to determine a rise or decline in the percentage.

Threat Level:	9/10
Infected PCs:	44

First Seen:	October 9, 2012
Last Seen:	April 25, 2020
OS(es) Affected:	Windows

Troj/Agent-YCW is a Dorkbot variant that's spread primarily by instant messages through Skype and similar programs. Like other Dorkbot worms, Troj/Agent-YCW can also use secondary means of distributing itself – such as USB drives – and attempts to conceal itself from the PC user. After Troj/Agent-YCW is installed, Troj/Agent-YCW creates a backdoor vulnerability and allows criminals to access the infected computer. SpywareRemove.com malware research team classifies Troj/Agent-YCW as a high-level threat to your PC's safety and places high emphasis on preventing Troj/Agent-YCW from spreading through USB devices and similar methods. Once Troj/Agent-YCW has been contained, anti-malware products should be able to eliminate Troj/Agent-YCW easily enough.

Troj/Agent-YCW – a Perfect Picture of a Security Risk

Like all members of the Dorkbot family, Troj/Agent-YCW includes worm-based propagation methods and the ability to enable criminals to control your PC via a botnet. However, recent Troj/Agent-YCW attacks have achieved some notice from SpywareRemove.com malware analysts and others due to their usage of instant messages as a major means of distribution. These instant messages offer a misleading link to a Troj/Agent-YCW download while describing it as a profile picture or other type of personal media. These attacks have been observed in several instant messengers, although Skype is particularly prominent among them.

SpywareRemove.com malware researchers also note that such attacks often use compromised accounts from PCs that are already infected by Dorkbot variants like Troj/Agent-YCW or its relative, Troj/Agent-YDC. Consequentially, these spam messages may appear to be sent by friends or other acquaintances, which enhances their appearance of authenticity and safety.

Attacks like those linked to Troj/Agent-YCW also have been seen in social networking websites such as Facebook and Twitter, and users of such sites should exercise caution over links to unusual websites – even if they seem to be sent by someone they know. SpywareRemove.com malware experts have confirmed that the installation of Troj/Agent-YCW will result in a backdoor vulnerability that can be used for a range of different attacks.

Why Leaving Troj/Agent-YCW's Door Wide Open is a Bad Idea

Backdoor vulnerabilities induced by Troj/Agent-YCW and similar PC threats allow criminals to gain unparalleled access to your computer, in most cases to allow them to steal confidential information, install other malware or exploit your computer's resources for online crimes. Some common attacks that SpywareRemove.com malware research team has associated with Troj/Agent-YCW and other Dorkbot variants include:

Usage of system resources for DDoS attacks and spam (the last one may be used to deliver additional copies of Troj/Agent-YCW).
Spyware attacks that record keyboard typing, text form input, cookie data and other targets that are used to store passwords, user names and other confidential data.
Attacks that disable, delete or block security-related programs and features, such as anti-virus scanners, Task Manager or Windows Update.

SpywareRemove.com malware experts especially suggest that you avoid sharing removable devices until Troj/Agent-YCW and other PC threats are deleted by a suitable anti-malware product. Doing so may allow Troj/Agent-YCW to install itself on any PC that plugs in the device – without any further interaction from the PC's user.

Use SpyHunter to Detect and Remove PC Threats

If you are concerned that malware or PC threats similar to Troj/Agent-YCW may have infected your computer, we recommend you start an in-depth system scan with SpyHunter. SpyHunter is an advanced malware protection and remediation application that offers subscribers a comprehensive method for protecting PCs from malware, in addition to providing one-on-one technical support service.

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Why can't I open any program including SpyHunter? You may have a malware file running in memory that kills any programs that you try to launch on your PC. Tip: Download SpyHunter from a clean computer, copy it to a USB thumb drive, DVD or CD, then install it on the infected PC and run SpyHunter's malware scanner.

Technical Details

File System Modifications

Tutorials: If you wish to learn how to remove malware components manually, you can read the tutorials on how to find malware, kill unwanted processes, remove malicious DLLs and delete other harmful files. Always be sure to back up your PC before making any changes.

The following files were created in the system:

%PROFILE%\Application Data\Jqfsfb.exe

File name: %PROFILE%\Application Data\Jqfsfb.exe
File type: Executable File
Mime Type: unknown/exe
Group: Malware file

skype_06102012_image.zip

File name: skype_06102012_image.zip
Mime Type: unknown/zip
Group: Malware file

skype_08102012_image.zip

File name: skype_08102012_image.zip
Mime Type: unknown/zip
Group: Malware file

Registry Modifications

The following newly produced Registry Values are:

HKEY..\..\{Value}HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run "Skype " = "C:\Documents and Settings\support\Application Data\Jqfsfb.exe"

Additional Information

The following messages's were detected:

#	Message
1	lol is this your new profile pic? http://goo.gl/[REDACTED]?img=[USERNAME]