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hotspot_shield_ar.exe

Webcellence Ltd.

The installer utilizes the installCore download manager which may bundle additional offers for various ad-supported toolbars, extensions and utilities. The application hotspot_shield_ar.exe by Webcellence 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 file has been seen being downloaded from rss2search.com.
Publisher:
Webcellence Ltd.  (signed and verified)

MD5:
d9c5e38f1d4d07346a5c60bd565b11e4

SHA-1:
81267a292d434c09bffba2f0a11463f4519f4fb0

SHA-256:
79b26d65b1e2664b63bb0be234a497f24c31ec4ad3044525a223d5805fcc0c1c

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 '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 4:12:56 AM UTC  (today)

Scan engine
Detection
Engine version

Reason Heuristics
PUP.installCore (M)
16.8.7.2

File size:
645.8 KB (661,344 bytes)

File type:
Executable application (Win32 EXE)

Bundler/Installer:
installCore (using Inno Setup)

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

Digital Signature
Signed by:
Webcellence Ltd.

Authority:
VeriSign, Inc.

Valid from:
3/5/2013 3:00:00 AM

Valid to:
5/5/2014 2:59:59 AM

Subject:
CN=Webcellence Ltd., OU=Digital ID Class 3 - Microsoft Software Validation v2, O=Webcellence Ltd., L=Moshav Ora, S=Israel, C=IL

Issuer:
CN=VeriSign Class 3 Code Signing 2010 CA, OU=Terms of use at https://www.verisign.com/rpa (c)10, OU=VeriSign Trust Network, O="VeriSign, Inc.", C=US

Serial number:
2742F1242826FB7F69B052B7F394DFED

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:ayMJfsGwgGVOLotpa9Y7yMupNSYD671T/2tY1m45nNOIQ2u7mFN6GwCgi:ayMJfs7gGVeoqMqpNfDod/2tYE45nQIY

Entry address:
0x98CC

Entry point:
55, 8B, EC, 83, C4, CC, 53, 56, 57, 33, C0, 89, 45, F0, 89, 45, DC, E8, FA, 97, FF, FF, E8, 01, AA, FF, FF, E8, 2C, CC, FF, FF, E8, 73, CC, FF, FF, E8, 0A, F3, FF, FF, E8, 71, F4, FF, FF, 33, C0, 55, 68, 76, 9F, 40, 00, 64, FF, 30, 64, 89, 20, 33, D2, 55, 68, 2C, 9F, 40, 00, 64, FF, 32, 64, 89, 22, A1, 14, B0, 40, 00, E8, 9B, FE, FF, FF, E8, 26, FA, FF, FF, 8D, 55, F0, 33, C0, E8, E0, D0, FF, FF, 8B, 55, F0, B8, D8, BD, 40, 00, E8, AB, 98, FF, FF, 6A, 02, 6A, 00, 6A, 01, 8B, 0D, D8, BD, 40, 00, B2, 01, B8...
 
[+]

Entropy:
7.7999

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

Code size:
36 KB (36,864 bytes)

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

http://rss2search.com/protect/ignore2.php?match=safe.to.download.downloadastro.com/hotspot_shield_ar.exe&site=http://.../hotspot_shield_ar.exe

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