Virus:W32/Sality.Q is an appending polymorphic file infector virus that uses an Entry Point Obscuring (EPO) technique. Unlike other file infectors that modify the entry point of the host file to point to the virus code, Sality.Q replaces 122 bytes from the beginning code of the host file with its decryption routine and hides it in its code. It stores the original code 1,422 bytes away from the start of the last section.
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.
When the infected executable file has been run, it will drop the following DLL components:
It will then load the vcmgcd32.dll file, which contains the malicious routine. After successfully installing its components, it will then execute the original host file's code to prevent the user from suspecting infection.
Sality.Q can infect any of the following extensions by searching for files starting from "C:\":
It also infects files with .EXE extensions that are referenced as data in the following registry keys:
Sality.Q appends itself by creating a new section with a section name of "{random characters}data" and has a size of 20480 Bytes.
Sality attempts to delete files and processes related to some antivirus products. It also attempts to delete files that it finds with any of the following extensions:
It will try to delete files with filenames starting with any of the following strings:
It may also kill processes that starts with the following strings:
It checks for an Internet connection by querying:
It then attempts to connect to the following URLs:
During installation, the worm creates the following mutexes to make sure that only one instance of its .dll component is running in memory:
It also modifies %windir%\SYSTEM.INI by adding a section called MCIDRV_VER with key DEVICE and putting a random value inside it.Example:
The .DLL component can steal cached passwords and also has key logging capabilities. It is injected in all running processes.