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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 2 anti-malware scanners. The program is a setup application that uses the Adknowledge Fusion installer. It is set to automatically start when a user logs into Windows via the current user run registry key under the display name ‘ContentExplorer’. 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:
0496bacc91e1cf79bbdd0bb7fd8f6c58

SHA-1:
958b97b0a90e4249c0f49831320bc1604f1ca983

SHA-256:
9a64e9880b28a872d92975adfaea084b55105dc541db87ca9a3ac435270344cf

Scanner detections:
2 / 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:
4/24/2024 9:49:15 PM UTC  (today)

Scan engine
Detection
Engine version

Avira AntiVirus
TR/Dropper.MSIL.Gen
7.11.141.68

Reason Heuristics
PUP.LakeVentures.P
14.7.23.23

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
Signed by:
Lake Ventures LLC

Authority:
GoDaddy.com, Inc.

Valid from:
12/17/2013 5:22:44 PM

Valid to:
12/17/2014 5:22:44 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:
7/22/2014 2:00:29 AM

OS version:
4.0

OS bitness:
Win32

Subsystem:
Windows GUI

Linker version:
8.0

.NET CLR dependent:
Yes

CTPH (ssdeep):
49152:rxitVL9DcoeRZNvTE/LkpoZjavS/3NEp0:hXZNvQ/LE2jaSdM0

Entry address:
0x2500A6

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:
7.7821

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

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

Startup File (User Run)
Registry location:
HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

Name:
ContentExplorer

Command:
"C:\users\{user}\appdata\roaming\contentexplorer\contentexplorer.exe"


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 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):
Connects to ec2-52-20-73-151.compute-1.amazonaws.com  (52.20.73.151:80)

TCP (HTTP):
Connects to a-0001.a-msedge.net  (204.79.197.200:80)

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