Summary

NewPic is a worm that spreads itself via MSN Messenger (online chat client). The worm is a PE EXE file 49kb long written in Visual Basic. The worm's file has p-code instead of executable code. The worm's file is not compressed.

Additional Details

When the worm's file is run a fake error messagebox is displayed:

 Cannot open file.  May be corupted.   Replace the file with a new one and try again.

Then the worm modifies the startup key in the Registry [HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run] to make it's file started during every Windows session. In the startup key the worm creates a subkey 'MSN Messenger' which points to the worm's file in the location where it was originally started from (usually download folder of MSN Messenger). The worm doesn't copy itself to \Windows\ or to other folders.

Then the worm stays resident in memory and waits for MSN Messenger's incoming messages. Upon receiving a message, the worm replies to it with its own message:

 hey, want me to send my new pic?
 i took it yesterday

If a remote user replies to that message with one of the words from the below given list:

 sure
 yes
 yea
 guess
 ok
 send
 maybe
 go

the worm sends its file to that person with the one of the following texts:

 alright, here ya go
 i hope you like it
 there
 pweese? :)
 ok cool

The worm also creates the C:\Messenger1324\Brain\ directory and writes a text file '1Read Me.txt' there. The text is as follows:

 I come in piece.   My name is Jerry.
 The purpose of me is to spread.  I'm not annoying, nor dangerous.

 How to remove me:
 1) Click Start, select Run.   The Run dialog box pops up.
 2) Type: msconfig  The System Configuration Utility pops up.
 3) Click the Startup tab at the top.  In the list, find MsgSprd,
    Messenger, or pic1324, uncheck, press Apply, then press Ok.
 4) Restart your computer  Or press Ctrl - Alt - Del, select
    MsgSprd from the list, then press End Task.

 You may freely delete the files or the 'C:\Messenger1324' directory.

The worm works only on a system where MSN Messenger is installed and activated. If MSN Messenger is not present, the worm will be still run during every Windows session and it will show a fake error messagebox every time. The worm doesn't have any destructive payload.

To remove the worm from a system it's enough to delete its file. If the file is locked by Windows, you need to exit to pure DOS and to delete the file manually or use a DOS-based anti-virus program. In case of Windows NT/2000 the worm's file has to be renamed with a non-EXE extension and system has to be restarted. After restart the renamed worm's file has to be deleted.

[Analysis: Alexey Podrezov; F-Secure Corp.; August 30, 2001]