Re: Compromised Windows Server

--On June 5, 2006 2:27:32 PM -0500 Patrick Beam <[email protected]> 
wrote:

> Came in this morning to find a windows 2003 server I manage scanning the
> Internet for machines listening on tcp 139 and 445.  While looking at the
> machine I noticed the following processes running.
>
> Mwvsta.exe found in c:\windows\system32
>
> rundll16.exe c:\windows\system23
>
> Ponoas.exe  c:\windows\system32
>
> I believe that the ponoas.exe is some sort of rootkit although searching
> on
> google for this file name returns nothing.  Also searching
> mwvsta.exereturns nothing.  At this point I have removed these files
> from the system
> and registry but am weary that the server will get hit again.  Has anyone
> had an experience with the following file or have any idea what rookkit of
> virus they are associated with?
>
Filenames aren't going to do you a bit of good.  Nowadays they're as 
individualized as human beings.  It's unfortunate that you deleted them, 
because it will make it next to impossible to find out what they were.

When you say you noticed the following processes running, how did you 
notice them?  Were they visible in Task Manager?  Or did you use some other 
tool to "see" them?

Do you have any idea how the breakin occurred?

Is there a firewall between this host and the internet?  Any intrusion 
detection equipment?  Any traffic-tracking software?

Paul Schmehl ([email protected])
Adjunct Information Security Officer
The University of Texas at Dallas
http://www.utdallas.edu/ir/security/