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asksearchasst.exe

Ask Search Assistant

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 asksearchasst.exe by Ask.com has been detected as a potentially unwanted program by 1 anti-malware scanner with very strong indications that the file is a potential threat. The program is a setup application that uses the APN Stub installer. It is also typically executed from the user's temporary directory.
Publisher:
Ask.com  (signed and verified)

Product:
Ask Search Assistant

Version:
1.1.1

MD5:
28387db3bfa8ed7f1ba742b02b0c09d8

SHA-1:
517e2757282999db9cf823c2d7dedfa07342d5ad

SHA-256:
6e314a62cb2e33d5d5df9720ad8c0b5b466c2cc4a6fd12eeb5b633b8c72df3ba

Scanner detections:
1 / 68

Status:
Potentially unwanted

Note:
Our current pool of anti-malware engines have not currently detected this file, however based on our own detection heuristics we feel that this file is unwanted.

Analysis date:
4/26/2024 2:15:34 PM UTC  (today)

Scan engine
Detection
Engine version

Reason Heuristics
PUP.Ask.Installer (M)
16.2.15.17

File size:
106.2 KB (108,792 bytes)

Copyright:
© Ask.com

Trademarks:
Ask Search Assistant is a trademark of Ask.com

File type:
Executable application (Win32 EXE)

Installer:
APN Stub

Language:
English (United States)

Common path:
C:\users\{user}\appdata\local\temp\{random}.tmp\asksearchasst.exe

Digital Signature
Signed by:
Ask.com

Authority:
VeriSign, Inc.

Valid from:
6/17/2008 2:00:00 AM

Valid to:
6/18/2011 1:59:59 AM

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 2004 CA, OU=Terms of use at https://www.verisign.com/rpa (c)04, OU=VeriSign Trust Network, O="VeriSign, Inc.", C=US

Serial number:
286F8A30E2EAC6965B936F826A05305D

File PE Metadata
Compilation timestamp:
6/6/2009 11:41:59 PM

OS version:
4.0

OS bitness:
Win32

Subsystem:
Windows GUI

Linker version:
6.0

CTPH (ssdeep):
1536:upgpHzb9dZVX9fHMvG0D3XJjAyASrBYt/nPl1wuK+J/K4Xhf6tW1svQf93wpoebw:0gXdZt9P6D3XJT/tOt27dW1sIxm9bw

Entry address:
0x30FA

Entry point:
81, EC, 80, 01, 00, 00, 53, 55, 56, 33, DB, 57, 89, 5C, 24, 18, C7, 44, 24, 10, 60, 91, 40, 00, 33, F6, C6, 44, 24, 14, 20, FF, 15, 30, 70, 40, 00, 68, 01, 80, 00, 00, FF, 15, B0, 70, 40, 00, 53, FF, 15, 7C, 72, 40, 00, 6A, 08, A3, 18, EC, 42, 00, E8, F1, 2B, 00, 00, A3, 64, EB, 42, 00, 53, 8D, 44, 24, 34, 68, 60, 01, 00, 00, 50, 53, 68, 98, 8F, 42, 00, FF, 15, 58, 71, 40, 00, 68, 54, 91, 40, 00, 68, 60, E3, 42, 00, E8, A4, 28, 00, 00, FF, 15, AC, 70, 40, 00, BF, 00, 40, 43, 00, 50, 57, E8, 92, 28, 00, 00...
 
[+]

Packer / compiler:
Nullsoft install system v2.x

Code size:
23.5 KB (24,064 bytes)

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