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hotspot-shield.exe

Max Setup

The installer utilizes the installCore download manager which may bundle additional offers for various ad-supported toolbars, extensions and utilities. The application hotspot-shield.exe by Max Setup has been detected as adware by 20 anti-malware scanners. 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 d13dhn7ldhrcf6.cloudfront.net and multiple other hosts.
Publisher:
Max Setup  (signed and verified)

MD5:
e1e9c26f167a372ffa8ea5ff71b3989e

SHA-1:
d991213e05c997ba157c16995786059971793c91

SHA-256:
152ed744216f42e3b973842e56938d8c531efdcea902d59dd25a2231826128c2

Scanner detections:
20 / 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 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:
4/19/2024 9:23:04 AM UTC  (today)

Scan engine
Detection
Engine version

Lavasoft Ad-Aware
Gen:Trojan.Heur2.GZ.RGZ@bqvHqHpi
862

Agnitum Outpost
Backdoor.Hupigon
7.1.1

Avira AntiVirus
TR/Spy.706160
7.11.174.218

AVG
InstallCore
2015.0.3340

Bitdefender
Gen:Trojan.Heur2.GZ.RGZ@bqvHqHpi
1.0.20.1345

Comodo Security
Application.Win32.Installcore.MAX
19623

Dr.Web
Trojan.Packed.24524
9.0.1.05190

Emsisoft Anti-Malware
Gen:Trojan.Heur2.GZ.RGZ@bqvHqHpi
8.14.09.26.04

ESET NOD32
Win32/InstallCore.BY potentially unwanted application
7.0.302.0

F-Prot
W32/A-dbe1ec51
v6.4.7.1.166

F-Secure
Gen:Trojan.Heur2.GZ.RGZ@bqvHqHpi
11.2014-26-09_6

G Data
Gen:Trojan.Heur2.GZ.RGZ@bqvHqHpi
14.9.24

K7 AntiVirus
Unwanted-Program
13.183.13490

Malwarebytes
PUP.Optional.InstallCore
v2014.09.26.04

MicroWorld eScan
Gen:Trojan.Heur2.GZ.RGZ@bqvHqHpi
15.0.0.807

NANO AntiVirus
Riskware.Win32.InstallCore.dfglmj
0.28.2.62286

Reason Heuristics
PUP.MaxSetup.O
14.9.26.4

Sophos
Install Core Click run software
4.98

Vba32 AntiVirus
Downware.InstallCore
3.12.26.3

VIPRE Antivirus
Threat.4788237
32938

File size:
689.6 KB (706,160 bytes)

File type:
Executable application (Win32 EXE)

Bundler/Installer:
installCore (using Inno Setup)

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

Digital Signature
Signed by:
Max Setup

Authority:
COMODO CA Limited

Valid from:
3/11/2014 3:00:00 AM

Valid to:
3/12/2015 2:59:59 AM

Subject:
CN=Max Setup, O=Max Setup, STREET=Lillienblam 28, L=Tel Aviv, S=Tel Aviv, PostalCode=651307, C=IL

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

Serial number:
008F6F1294DBB38F9F80A7A06DE489DF45

File PE Metadata
Compilation timestamp:
6/20/1992 1:22:17 AM

OS version:
1.0

OS bitness:
Win32

Subsystem:
Windows GUI

Linker version:
2.25

CTPH (ssdeep):
12288:QnvpEaZRaFAaqGLltSGrIQ5mQckFhuM3w6GglOMEkSqN1qv/3E7lvBQjy8FG:QnvyaZRaqDg82NckWMAnHtqHEc7/i5FG

Entry address:
0x9C40

Entry point:
55, 8B, EC, 83, C4, C4, 53, 56, 57, 33, C0, 89, 45, F0, 89, 45, DC, E8, 86, 94, FF, FF, E8, 8D, A6, FF, FF, E8, 1C, A9, FF, FF, E8, 53, C9, FF, FF, E8, 9A, C9, FF, FF, E8, C9, F2, FF, FF, E8, 30, F4, FF, FF, 33, C0, 55, 68, FC, A2, 40, 00, 64, FF, 30, 64, 89, 20, 33, D2, 55, 68, C5, A2, 40, 00, 64, FF, 32, 64, 89, 22, A1, 14, C0, 40, 00, E8, 96, FE, FF, FF, E8, C9, FA, FF, FF, 8D, 55, F0, 33, C0, E8, 83, CF, FF, FF, 8B, 55, F0, B8, 24, CE, 40, 00, E8, 32, 95, FF, FF, 6A, 02, 6A, 00, 6A, 01, 8B, 0D, 24, CE...
 
[+]

Entropy:
7.8228

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

Code size:
37 KB (37,888 bytes)

The file hotspot-shield.exe has been seen being distributed by the following 2 URLs.

http://d13dhn7ldhrcf6.cloudfront.net/?version=08043&domain=hotspot-shield&name=Hotspot Shield&icon=aHR0cDovL3NjcmVlbnNob3RzLmVuLnNmdGNkbi5uZXQvZW4vc2Nybi83OTAwMC83OTU3My90aHVtYm5haWxfMTM3OTk1OTc3OS0zMngzMi5wbmc=&url=aHR0cDovL215ZGF0aS5jb20vL2Rvd25sb2FkL2hzcy13aW4yL0hTUy0yLjY1LWluc3RhbGwtc29mdG9uaWMtMzg3LWNvbmR1aXQuZXhl&os=&lang=en_US&desc=U2FmZWx5IGFjY2VzcyBibG9ja2VkIGFuZCByZXN0cmljdGVkIHNpdGVzIA==&loc=SA&gs=0

http://inndl.com/download.php?version=08043&domain=hotspot-shield&name=Hotspot Shield&icon=aHR0cDovL3NjcmVlbnNob3RzLmVuLnNmdGNkbi5uZXQvZW4vc2Nybi83OTAwMC83OTU3My90aHVtYm5haWxfMTM3OTk1OTc3OS0zMngzMi5wbmc=&url=aHR0cDovL215ZGF0aS5jb20vL2Rvd25sb2FkL2hzcy13aW4yL0hTUy0yLjY1LWluc3RhbGwtc29mdG9uaWMtMzg3LWNvbmR1aXQuZXhl&os=&lang=en_US&desc=U2FmZWx5IGFjY2VzcyBibG9ja2VkIGFuZCByZXN0cmljdGVkIHNpdGVzIA==

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