Classification

Category :

Malware

Type :

Worm

Aliases :

Marijuana, I-Worm.Mari, W32/Mari@MM

Summary

Marijuana is an Internet worm written in Visual Basic. The worm is a PE EXE file 45056 bytes long. It is not packed or encrypted. Several minor variants are known.

Removal

Based on the settings of your F-Secure security product, it will either move the file to the quarantine where it cannot spread or cause harm, or remove it.

A False Positive is when a file is incorrectly detected as harmful, usually because its code or behavior resembles known harmful programs. A False Positive will usually be fixed in a subsequent database update without any action needed on your part. If you wish, you may also:

  • Check for the latest database updates

    First check if your F-Secure security program is using the latest updates, then try scanning the file again.

  • Submit a sample

    After checking, if you still believe the file is incorrectly detected, you can submit a sample of it for re-analysis.

    Note: If the file was moved to quarantine, you need to collect the file from quarantine before you can submit it.

  • Exclude a file from further scanning

    If you are certain that the file is safe and want to continue using it, you can exclude it from further scanning by the F-Secure security product.

    Note: You need administrative rights to change the settings.

Technical Details

When run, the worm installs itself as SYSTEM32.EXE file into C:\Windows\ or C:\WinNT\ folder depending on operating system used. If operating system installed into a different folder or on a different drive the worm fails to install itself to system. After installation the worm modifies Run keys in the Registry and WIN.INI file to make sure its copy is started every time Windows loads. The worm then stays in memory as a service process.

After that the worm opens Outlook Address Book, looks for email addresses there and sends itself as SYSTEM32.EXE to all these addresses. The infected message looks like that:

Subject:

 Hi!
Body:
check this out!!!
Attachment:
system32.exe

Then the worm stores the address to which it sent itself into Windows Address Book to avoid sending duplicate messages to the same address.

The worm changes Windows registered user name to 'Im A Pot Head!' and organization info to 'Stoner's Pot Palace'. The worm also changes Internet explorer startup page to 'my.marijuana.com' and sets window title to 'Marijuana Explorer (LEGALIZE IT!!!)'.

Being acrive the worm shows a bush-like icon in system tray and when a user clicks on it, the worm displays the following message:

IMPORTANT: PLEASE READ
I think i speak for every pot smoker in North America when i
say: *Legalize Marijuana*...I mean if people with AIDS, Cancer
and other deaises can use it then why cant the rest of us (pot
smokers) use it?, I dont think that's very fair (Do you?). If
it's legal to grow and use in places like: Australia (for
personal use) then why not in North America? If doctors are
useing it as a treatment for illness then it must not be *THAT*
harmful (So why can't other people use it?). I really do think
the federal goverment should consider legalization of marijuana.
Well that's really all i have to say on the matter, but i do
hope somebody, somewhere listens to what i have to say and does
not just regard this as just another *virus* because it's more
then that, it's a message, a message for freedom, the free dom
to smoke up and have the chose to do so *WITHOUT* fear of
punishment from the law and the goverment. Thank you for your
time.

When a cursor is placed on the icon, the 'LEGALIZE IT!!!' tooltip message is shown.

At 4:20 and 16:20 the worm displays a message:

The Marijuana Virus!! Its 4:20, Time to toke up :)

To delete this worm from infected system it is enough to delete SYSTEM32.EXE file from Windows or WinNT folder. In case file is locked it should be deleted from pure DOS (Win9x systems) or renamed with non-executable extension with immediate Windows restart (NT systems).