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hotspot shield.exe

Softpulse SLU

This is the Softpulse installer which bundles applications with offers for additional 3rd party software, mostly unwanted adware, and may be installed with minimal consent. The application hotspot shield.exe by Softpulse SLU 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 Softpulse SoftwareBundler installer. The file has been seen being downloaded from rss2search.com.
Publisher:
Softpulse SLU  (signed and verified)

MD5:
8a3b483a25319f577a3d2dddec259be2

SHA-1:
c967d35caa2242a39cad78d1bca8374fa6f24748

SHA-256:
a0e2f4101142b5c59b1e63e383c061d6fa97fd7add52f40c1ab568764fd442e7

Scanner detections:
1 / 68

Status:
Adware

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.

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:
4/16/2024 5:46:14 AM UTC  (today)

Scan engine
Detection
Engine version

Reason Heuristics
PUP.Softpulse.Bundler (M)
16.4.29.5

File size:
1.2 MB (1,245,672 bytes)

File type:
Executable application (Win32 EXE)

Bundler/Installer:
Softpulse SoftwareBundler

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

Digital Signature
Signed by:
Softpulse SLU

Authority:
COMODO CA Limited

Valid from:
3/10/2014 4:00:00 AM

Valid to:
3/11/2015 3:59:59 AM

Subject:
CN=Softpulse SLU, O=Softpulse SLU, STREET="El Pozo, 17B", L=Guia de Isora, S=Santa Cruz de Tenerife, PostalCode=38680, C=ES

Issuer:
CN=COMODO Code Signing CA 2, O=COMODO CA Limited, L=Salford, S=Greater Manchester, C=GB

Serial number:
00F5AD21F5B60D3815776CE20025D5B9B8

File PE Metadata
Compilation timestamp:
6/13/2014 7:15:51 PM

OS version:
5.1

OS bitness:
Win32

Subsystem:
Windows GUI

Linker version:
11.0

CTPH (ssdeep):
24576:MhRyk5BKO3gux5cGnWYu2qR3Jai7r9rfPn9vYjzNJJJJJJJJJJJJJ7JJJJJOnOnQ:Mh4qvQImGWYu2w7Nmn

Entry address:
0x3B5D

Entry point:
E8, 7F, 38, 00, 00, E9, 39, FE, FF, FF, 55, 8B, EC, 56, FF, 75, 08, 8B, F1, E8, 5F, 00, 00, 00, C7, 06, 5C, BA, 41, 00, 8B, C6, 5E, 5D, C2, 04, 00, 55, 8B, EC, 56, FF, 75, 08, 8B, F1, E8, 5F, 00, 00, 00, C7, 06, 5C, BA, 41, 00, 8B, C6, 5E, 5D, C2, 04, 00, 55, 8B, EC, 56, FF, 75, 08, 8B, F1, E8, A0, 00, 00, 00, C7, 06, 44, BA, 41, 00, 8B, C6, 5E, 5D, C2, 04, 00, 55, 8B, EC, 56, 8D, 45, 08, 50, 8B, F1, E8, 44, 00, 00, 00, C7, 06, 44, BA, 41, 00, 8B, C6, 5E, 5D, C2, 04, 00, 55, 8B, EC, 56, FF, 75, 08, 8B, F1...
 
[+]

Entropy:
7.5804

Code size:
100 KB (102,400 bytes)

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

http://rss2search.com/protect/ignore2.php?match=mxp1003.com/&site=http://.../XBjiGfXajlzfMtQMcr23eBfAQw1GXTdN4w3SGFvJUshCJUPOY8hsISfppATl7EOf90d2mMDGk-SnbzqXzexM4ccOIzootJX_kpFN5Rce5d5yS5ETCXZ_wbuFlOlDtwkPCvWBBAUvTyHCRBz2-3SELg

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