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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:
563822e86a4ce26d87c5d989613bfc0d

SHA-1:
bb74010dba36bb4e9ad6950c7355e4c02aa36914

SHA-256:
af93b71044b9c05f3b6e3272f5a72e5a1495edac94455749bb1dd4f86374b1fb

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 'download manager' is also considered bundleware, a utility designed to download software (possibly legitimate or opensource) and bundle it with a number of optional offers including ad-supported utilities, toolbars, shopping comparison tools and browser extensions.

Analysis date:
4/26/2024 9:34:21 PM UTC  (today)

Scan engine
Detection
Engine version

Avira AntiVirus
TR/Dropper.MSIL.Gen
7.11.141.68

Reason Heuristics
PUP.LakeVentures.P
14.7.24.23

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 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:
7/1/2014 6:11:01 AM

OS version:
4.0

OS bitness:
Win32

Subsystem:
Windows GUI

Linker version:
8.0

.NET CLR dependent:
Yes

CTPH (ssdeep):
49152:Zxitc67euAfVmAPpaN2jA9W04qfXcFeBraM1CLmq5VV:SerLPpaN2jA9ykXkm3zq5j

Entry address:
0x25007E

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)

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
85% remove it
 
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The executing file has been seen to make the following network communications in live environments.

TCP (HTTP):
Connects to ec2-54-85-204-114.compute-1.amazonaws.com  (54.85.204.114:80)

TCP (HTTP):
Connects to ec2-54-209-12-138.compute-1.amazonaws.com  (54.209.12.138:80)

TCP (HTTP SSL):
Connects to yk-in-f102.1e100.net  (74.125.196.102:443)

TCP (HTTP):
Connects to yh-in-f95.1e100.net  (74.125.137.95:80)

TCP (HTTP SSL):
Connects to yh-in-f94.1e100.net  (74.125.137.94:443)

TCP (HTTP):
Connects to yh-in-f93.1e100.net  (74.125.137.93:80)

TCP (HTTP SSL):
Connects to yh-in-f84.1e100.net  (74.125.137.84:443)

TCP (HTTP SSL):
Connects to yh-in-f156.1e100.net  (74.125.137.156:443)

TCP (HTTP):
Connects to yh-in-f155.1e100.net  (74.125.137.155:80)

TCP (HTTP):
Connects to yh-in-f149.1e100.net  (74.125.137.149:80)

TCP (HTTP):
Connects to yh-in-f148.1e100.net  (74.125.137.148:80)

TCP (HTTP):
Connects to yh-in-f139.1e100.net  (74.125.137.139:80)

TCP (HTTP):
Connects to yh-in-f138.1e100.net  (74.125.137.138:80)

TCP (HTTP SSL):
Connects to yh-in-f132.1e100.net  (74.125.137.132:443)

TCP (HTTP):
Connects to yh-in-f120.1e100.net  (74.125.137.120:80)

TCP (HTTP):
Connects to yh-in-f118.1e100.net  (74.125.137.118:80)

TCP (HTTP):
Connects to yh-in-f113.1e100.net  (74.125.137.113:80)

TCP (HTTP):
Connects to yh-in-f102.1e100.net  (74.125.137.102:80)

TCP (HTTP):
Connects to yh-in-f101.1e100.net  (74.125.137.101:80)

TCP (HTTP):
Connects to yh-in-f100.1e100.net  (74.125.137.100:80)

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