AskInstaller.exe

Offercast - APN Install Manager

Ask.com

This installer is part of the Ask.com (APN) network which will install the Ask.com branded toolbar or browser extension which will take control of the web browser's search functions. The application AskInstaller.exe by Ask.com has been detected as a potentially unwanted program by 13 anti-malware scanners. The program is a setup application that uses the Offercast APN Install Manager installer. This version of the installer will bundle the Ask.com Toolbar, a potentially unwanted web browser extension. The file has been seen being downloaded from www.traidnt.net and multiple other hosts.
Publisher:
Ask.com  (signed and verified)

Product:
Offercast - APN Install Manager

Version:
2.8.0.2

MD5:
7b6644aaa8fd80e78762e3519a46dfbf

SHA-1:
aaa2470e8d17e2620679d4bd97ab966cc1ce3262

SHA-256:
8d29ac224f4bd9a6671c037ffb1ae0265aaa41581e7bb6f168f301517a16e18a

Scanner detections:
13 / 68

Status:
Potentially unwanted

Explanation:
This is the APN Offercast install manager which will offer the user to opt-out of installing the Ask.com Toolbar as part of the setup routine.

Analysis date:
4/19/2024 5:42:51 PM UTC  (today)

Scan engine
Detection
Engine version

Agnitum Outpost
PUA.Toolbar.Ask
7.1.1

Avira AntiVirus
TR/Trash.Gen
7.11.124.138

Baidu Antivirus
Trojan.Win32.Bundled
4.0.3.1488

Boost by Reason
Adware.Installer.Ask.M
2013.8.23.19

Dr.Web
Adware.Downware.1661
9.0.1.0329

Emsisoft Anti-Malware
Trojan-Ransom.Win32.LockScreen
8.14.01.20.09

ESET NOD32
Win32/Bundled.Toolbar.Ask (variant)
7.8681

Fortinet FortiGate
Adware/InstallQ
11/25/2013

herdProtect (fuzzy)
2013.12.20.16

Malwarebytes
PUP.Optional.BundledToolBar.A
v2013.11.25.03

NANO AntiVirus
Trojan.Win32.Downware.crduvi
0.28.0.57029

Reason Heuristics
PUP.Installer.Ask.M
14.8.8.2

SUPERAntiSpyware
Trojan.Agent/Gen-Nullo[Short]
10435

File size:
1 MB (1,077,648 bytes)

Product version:
2.8.0.2

Copyright:
2010 (c) Ask.com. All rights reserved.

Original file name:
AskInstaller.exe

File type:
Executable application (Win32 EXE)

Installer:
Offercast APN Install Manager

Language:
English (United States)

Common path:
C:\users\{user}\downloads\askinstaller.exe

Digital Signature
Signed by:

Authority:
VeriSign, Inc.

Valid from:
6/19/2011 8:00:00 PM

Valid to:
6/18/2014 7:59:59 PM

Subject:
CN=Ask.com, OU=Distribution, OU=Digital ID Class 3 - Microsoft Software Validation v2, O=Ask.com, L=Oakland, S=California, C=US

Issuer:
CN=VeriSign Class 3 Code Signing 2010 CA, OU=Terms of use at https://www.verisign.com/rpa (c)10, OU=VeriSign Trust Network, O="VeriSign, Inc.", C=US

Serial number:
0965F2AC7236C7E1BDCA44ED139B273A

File PE Metadata
Compilation timestamp:
7/15/2013 2:27:07 PM

OS version:
5.1

OS bitness:
Win32

Subsystem:
Windows GUI

Linker version:
10.0

CTPH (ssdeep):
24576:4uE8Zb+PnAL4wbDx2HKfvMFDdjYtaYtsNZo2DJz:46cnY442HKfvMFxU8YtsNnDJz

Entry address:
0x74993

Entry point:
E8, 78, EE, 00, 00, E9, 89, FE, FF, FF, 8B, FF, 55, 8B, EC, 83, EC, 20, 8B, 45, 08, 56, 57, 6A, 08, 59, BE, 34, 85, 49, 00, 8D, 7D, E0, F3, A5, 89, 45, F8, 8B, 45, 0C, 5F, 89, 45, FC, 5E, 85, C0, 74, 0C, F6, 00, 08, 74, 07, C7, 45, F4, 00, 40, 99, 01, 8D, 45, F4, 50, FF, 75, F0, FF, 75, E4, FF, 75, E0, FF, 15, D4, 72, 49, 00, C9, C2, 08, 00, 8B, FF, 55, 8B, EC, 8B, 45, 08, 33, C9, 3B, 04, CD, A8, 9C, 4B, 00, 74, 13, 41, 83, F9, 2D, 72, F1, 8D, 48, ED, 83, F9, 11, 77, 0E, 6A, 0D, 58, 5D, C3, 8B, 04, CD, AC...
 
[+]

Entropy:
6.5929

Code size:
598 KB (612,352 bytes)

The file AskInstaller.exe has been seen being distributed by the following 15 URLs.

http://www.traidnt.net/vb/safety_link.php?url=http://ak.pipoffers.apnpartners.com/static/partners/dynamic/.../SFInstaller_SFFZ_filezilla_8992693_.exe

http://download1898.mediafire.com/f4gx7uy2s46g/.../SFInstaller_SFFZ_filezilla_8992693_.exe

http://77.169.130.157/.../SFInstaller_SFFZ_filezilla_8992693_.exe

http://91.74.184.33/.../SFInstaller_SFFZ_filezilla_8706467_.exe

The executing file has been seen to make the following network communications in live environments.

TCP (HTTP):

TCP (HTTP):
Connects to a104-90-223-15.deploy.static.akamaitechnologies.com  (104.90.223.15:80)

TCP (HTTP):
Connects to 199.36.100.103.df.iacapn.com  (199.36.100.103:80)

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