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hotspot-shield.exe

Program Setup

Quality Criteria (Alpha Criteria Ltd.)

The application hotspot-shield.exe by Quality Criteria (Alpha Criteria) has been detected as adware 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 installCore installer. The setup program uses the InstallCore engine which may bundle additional software offers including toolbars and browser extensions. The file has been seen being downloaded from tmpfile6835.s3.amazonaws.com.
Publisher:
SecuredDownload  (signed by Quality Criteria (Alpha Criteria Ltd.))

Product:
Program Setup

Version:
1.0.5.a0.1_58854

MD5:
807737be08a7184547f2ef621134c472

SHA-1:
3939da38cbd7043190309000d5ccf0a4ecbfdfed

SHA-256:
7aa5e5dbd98674de0a21b0d2f729e3a1e213e6feae65dff7baea29e05f752567

Scanner detections:
1 / 68

Status:
Adware

Explanation:
Uses the InstallCore download manager to install additional potentially unwanted software which may include extensions such as DealPly and various toolbars.

Description:
This is an installer which may bundle legitimate applications with offers for additional 3rd-party applications that may be unwanted by the user. While the installer contains an 'opt-out' feature this is not set be defult and is usually overlooked.

Analysis date:
4/27/2024 9:59:12 PM UTC  (today)

Scan engine
Detection
Engine version

Reason Heuristics
PUP.InstallCore.AC.Installer (M)
16.7.11.22

File size:
933.7 KB (956,152 bytes)

Product version:
1.0.5.a0.1_58854

Copyright:
SecuredDownload

File type:
Executable application (Win32 EXE)

Bundler/Installer:
installCore (using Inno Setup)

Language:
Language Neutral

Common path:
C:\users\{user}\downloads\hotspot-shield.exe

Digital Signature
Signed by:
Quality Criteria (Alpha Criteria Ltd.)

Authority:
GlobalSign nv-sa

Valid from:
1/6/2016 5:11:47 PM

Valid to:
8/4/2016 7:53:54 PM

Subject:
CN=Quality Criteria (Alpha Criteria Ltd.), O=Quality Criteria (Alpha Criteria Ltd.), L=Tel Aviv, C=IL

Issuer:
CN=GlobalSign CodeSigning CA - SHA256 - G2, O=GlobalSign nv-sa, C=BE

Serial number:
1121DC9E5F7E1CC5DF0CA4ED082CF7EB9D86

File PE Metadata
Compilation timestamp:
6/20/1992 2:52:17 AM

OS version:
1.0

OS bitness:
Win32

Subsystem:
Windows GUI

Linker version:
2.25

CTPH (ssdeep):
24576:xriPYsi61YBR2c11w3n54kSjJmRD6JGriGuet/di8GD:x+gJg3n59cJmRDSG+Sds8S

Entry address:
0xA5F8

Entry point:
55, 8B, EC, 83, C4, C4, 53, 56, 57, 33, C0, 89, 45, F0, 89, 45, DC, E8, CE, 8A, FF, FF, E8, D5, 9C, FF, FF, E8, 64, 9F, FF, FF, E8, 07, A0, FF, FF, E8, A6, BF, FF, FF, E8, 11, E9, FF, FF, E8, 78, EA, FF, FF, 33, C0, 55, 68, C9, AC, 40, 00, 64, FF, 30, 64, 89, 20, 33, D2, 55, 68, 92, AC, 40, 00, 64, FF, 32, 64, 89, 22, A1, 14, C0, 40, 00, E8, 26, F5, FF, FF, E8, 11, F1, FF, FF, 80, 3D, 34, B2, 40, 00, 00, 74, 0C, E8, 23, F6, FF, FF, 33, C0, E8, C4, 97, FF, FF, 8D, 55, F0, 33, C0, E8, B6, C5, FF, FF, 8B, 55...
 
[+]

Entropy:
7.9355

Packer / compiler:
Inno Setup v5.x - Installer Maker

Code size:
39.5 KB (40,448 bytes)

The file hotspot-shield.exe has been seen being distributed by the following URL.

https://tmpfile6835.s3.amazonaws.com/download77/ic_trackings/28929/.../hotspot-shield.exe

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