ContentExplorer.exe

Lake Ventures LLC

This adware bundler is distributed through Adknowledge's advertising supported software managers. The application ContentExplorer.exe by Lake Ventures has been detected as adware by 3 anti-malware scanners. The program is a setup application that uses the Adknowledge Fusion installer. This executable runs as a local area network (LAN) Internet proxy server listening on port 49338 and has the ability to intercept and modify all inbound and outbound Internet traffic on the local host. This file is typically installed with the program ContentExplorer by Lake Ventures LLC which is a potentially unwanted software program.
Publisher:
ContentExplorer  (signed by Lake Ventures LLC)

Product:
ContentExplorer

Version:
8.0

MD5:
690a3eb5061adbc7fbb291f3e905eea7

SHA-1:
946b7d5c0ba703c1d8e5ce2becc492f91831df62

SHA-256:
14b6c932908aec8ad35c04106481787c73c2aef4ebac3851789d673bc3d9bae4

Scanner detections:
3 / 68

Status:
Adware

Explanation:
This installer bundles various adware prorgams that may include toolbars and web browser advertising injectors/extensions.

Description:
This is also known as bundleware, or downloadware, which is an downloader designed to simply deliver ad-supported offers in the setup routine of an otherwise legitimate software.

Analysis date:
5/10/2024 10:50:37 AM UTC  (today)

Scan engine
Detection
Engine version

Avira AntiVirus
TR/Dropper.MSIL.Gen
7.11.141.68

ESET NOD32
MSIL/Adware.iBryte (variant)
8.10442

Reason Heuristics
PUP.LakeVentures.P
14.9.29.18

File size:
2.3 MB (2,429,680 bytes)

Product version:
8.0

Copyright:
Copyright © ContentExplorer 2014

Original file name:
ContentExplorer.exe

File type:
Executable application (Win32 EXE)

Bundler/Installer:
Adknowledge Fusion

Language:
Language Neutral

Common path:
C:\users\{user}\appdata\roaming\contentexplorer\contentexplorer.exe

Digital Signature
Authority:
GoDaddy.com, Inc.

Valid from:
12/17/2013 4:22:44 PM

Valid to:
12/17/2014 4:22:44 PM

Subject:
CN=Lake Ventures LLC, O=Lake Ventures LLC, L=Aliso Viejo, S=California, C=US

Issuer:
SERIALNUMBER=07969287, CN=Go Daddy Secure Certification Authority, OU=http://certificates.godaddy.com/repository, O="GoDaddy.com, Inc.", L=Scottsdale, S=Arizona, C=US

Serial number:
2B14BBCA37F140

File PE Metadata
Compilation timestamp:
7/3/2014 1:00:27 AM

OS version:
4.0

OS bitness:
Win32

Subsystem:
Windows GUI

Linker version:
8.0

.NET CLR dependent:
Yes

CTPH (ssdeep):
49152:axizjgcWm6NC0lnYIC6ZVwfLSNjOARKqC0PGLZUPA0z:dvWzNblnc6DwzSNHQ4CUPxz

Entry address:
0x2500A2

Entry point:
FF, 25, 00, 20, 40, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00...
 
[+]

Entropy:
7.7825

Developed / compiled with:
Microsoft Visual C# / Basic .NET

Code size:
2.3 MB (2,417,152 bytes)

Local Proxy Server
Proxy for:
Internet Settings

Local host address:
http://127.0.0.1:49338/

Local host port:
49338

Default credentials:
No


The file ContentExplorer.exe has been discovered within the following programs.

ContentExplorer  by Lake Ventures LLC
From the Terms and Conditions: "Content Explorer is ad-supported. During general internet usage on sites where Content Explorer operates, users may see additional banner, search, pop-up, pop-under, and in-text link advertisements.
ContentExplorer.net
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The executing file has been seen to make the following network communications in live environments.

TCP (HTTP):
Connects to sjd-rd12-5a.sjc.dropbox.com  (108.160.167.165:80)

TCP (HTTP):
Connects to ec2-54-208-30-101.compute-1.amazonaws.com  (54.208.30.101:80)

TCP (HTTP):
Connects to ec2-52-6-61-36.compute-1.amazonaws.com  (52.6.61.36:80)

TCP (HTTP):

TCP (HTTP):
Connects to 206.190.128.220.static.westdc.net  (206.190.128.220:80)

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