home

microsoft security essentials setup.exe

Microsoft Security Essentials 2016

Download Assistant

This is part of the Air Installer, a download manager which bundles applications with offers for additional 3rd party software, mostly unwanted adware, and may be installed with minimal consent. The application microsoft security essentials setup.exe by Download Assistant 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 AirInstaller Download Manager installer. It is also typically executed from an Internet Explorer cache folder. The file has been seen being downloaded from software.softwarerotate3.com.
Publisher:
Download Assistant  (signed and verified)

Product:
Microsoft Security Essentials 2016

Version:
3.0.0.155

MD5:
0bf5764c3ca3ca3e9898b4940c2a94b3

SHA-1:
cb5c068b1cfe4d32fa064e7c06c08c1f16d0e4f8

SHA-256:
bbf788fefff1b427dcab1daa4cc0f0584a8ff729eca201fa74e1c1988a60ce3e

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:
6/18/2025 5:10:52 PM UTC  (today)

Scan engine
Detection
Engine version

Reason Heuristics
PUP.Air Software.Download.Bundler (M)
16.5.21.6

File size:
1.1 MB (1,197,496 bytes)

Product version:
3.0.0.155

Copyright:
(c) Download Assistant

File type:
Executable application (Win32 EXE)

Bundler/Installer:
AirInstaller Download Manager

Language:
Language Neutral

Common path:
C:\users\{user}\appdata\local\microsoft\windows\temporary internet files\content.ie5\{random}\microsoft security essentials setup.exe

Digital Signature
Signed by:
Download Assistant

Authority:
Symantec Corporation

Valid from:
4/20/2016 7:00:00 PM

Valid to:
7/21/2017 6:59:59 PM

Subject:
CN=Download Assistant, O=Download Assistant, L=Victoria, S=British Columbia, C=CA

Issuer:
CN=Symantec Class 3 SHA256 Code Signing CA, OU=Symantec Trust Network, O=Symantec Corporation, C=US

Serial number:
74E99F6D6E13850E699A1F96049E70BC

File PE Metadata
Compilation timestamp:
1/30/2013 8:21:56 AM

OS version:
5.0

OS bitness:
Win32

Subsystem:
Windows GUI

Linker version:
2.25

CTPH (ssdeep):
24576:OxGs9uVejTO2b3n9vpoTMZAQdsVy7eFM9jowe48lVkcEJakG:zs9yejTlJpfvCFM9Ew38McEJakG

Entry address:
0x113BC

Entry point:
55, 8B, EC, 83, C4, A4, 53, 56, 57, 33, C0, 89, 45, C4, 89, 45, C0, 89, 45, A4, 89, 45, D0, 89, 45, C8, 89, 45, CC, 89, 45, D4, 89, 45, D8, 89, 45, EC, B8, 2C, 00, 41, 00, E8, E8, 51, FF, FF, 33, C0, 55, 68, 9E, 1A, 41, 00, 64, FF, 30, 64, 89, 20, 33, D2, 55, 68, 5A, 1A, 41, 00, 64, FF, 32, 64, 89, 22, A1, 48, 5B, 41, 00, E8, 16, D8, FF, FF, E8, 65, D3, FF, FF, 80, 3D, DC, 2A, 41, 00, 00, 74, 0C, E8, 2B, D9, FF, FF, 33, C0, E8, 80, 32, FF, FF, 8D, 55, EC, 33, C0, E8, E2, A3, FF, FF, 8B, 55, EC, B8, 50, 86...
 
[+]

Entropy:
6.9832

Developed / compiled with:
Microsoft Visual C++

Code size:
65.5 KB (67,072 bytes)

The file microsoft security essentials setup.exe has been seen being distributed by the following URL.

http://software.softwarerotate3.com/v2/click/bfvd2rty/?d=http://cdn.downloadfree2.com/software/microsoftsecurityessentials.exe&n=Microsoft Security Essentials 2016&icon=http://www.mcdownloader.com/.../microsoftsecurityessentials32.ico&key=49b7c96008b7e7fbe6f90bf13cdb469d8f15797a40ff33e7e22910a0d9371d94&affiliate_image=http://www.mcdownloader.com/.../microsoftsecurityessentials40.png&product_image=http://www.mcdownloader.com/.../microsoftsecurityessentials85.png&filename=Microsoft Security Essentials Setup&sid=McD-Y-USA-microsoftsecurityessentials-

Remove microsoft security essentials setup.exe - Powered by Reason Core Security
herdProtect is a second line of defense malware removal platform powered by 68 anti-malware engines in the cloud. Since no single anti-malware program is perfect 100% of the time, herdProtect utilizes a 'herd' of multiple engines to guarantee the widest coverage and the earliest possible detection.