Spybot-Search-Destroy.exe

Spybot - Search and Destroy

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 Spybot-Search-Destroy.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. The installer is marketed through download protals and search ads as Spybot - Search & Destroy but will also install additional software offers which include adware, PUPs and browser toolbars.
Publisher:
DownloadAsst_New  (signed by Download Assistant)

Product:
Spybot - Search and Destroy

Version:
3.0.0.92

MD5:
d243fd93ce3459463e6072a0e95afa0a

SHA-1:
a53f8287b73baab8cc987cb93dc1db8b4e257352

SHA-256:
1fa7886c7ee36b6f0148678c5e5a17bd7cc54a15015764039f35faa535ccb612

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 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:
8/4/2025 9:37:51 AM UTC  (today)

Scan engine
Detection
Engine version

Reason Heuristics
PUP.Air Software.Download.Bundler (M)
16.4.16.8

File size:
957.7 KB (980,672 bytes)

Product version:
3.0.0.92

Copyright:
(c) DownloadAsst_New

Original file name:
Spybot-Search-Destroy.exe

File type:
Executable application (Win32 EXE)

Bundler/Installer:
AirInstaller Download Manager

Language:
English (United States)

Common path:
C:\users\{user}\downloads\spybot-search-destroy.exe

Digital Signature
Authority:
Symantec Corporation

Valid from:
2/15/2015 7:00:00 PM

Valid to:
2/16/2016 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:
3784E4CAC60231ED82FD7E8E845E8CE3

File PE Metadata
Compilation timestamp:
4/17/2015 5:32:39 PM

OS version:
5.1

OS bitness:
Win32

Subsystem:
Windows GUI

Linker version:
10.0

CTPH (ssdeep):
24576:uqb4l31Q4LbtbaOFrFLmxKL7mFXcbJeJ/1I+RaL:54l31Q4Pt3Lmq7KcbJwML

Entry address:
0x126A

Entry point:
55, 8B, EC, 83, EC, 10, 53, 56, 57, 6A, 00, FF, 15, 08, 10, 49, 00, 8B, F8, 33, D2, 8B, CF, 8B, 5F, 3C, 03, DF, 2B, 05, 1C, 10, 40, 00, 89, 45, F4, 1B, D2, F7, D8, 89, 55, F8, 0F, B7, 73, 14, 83, D2, 00, F7, DA, 89, 75, F0, 52, 8B, 93, A0, 00, 00, 00, 50, 8B, 44, 1E, 24, 03, 05, 28, 10, 40, 00, 50, FF, B3, A4, 00, 00, 00, E8, 88, FD, FF, FF, 8B, 54, 1E, 28, 83, C4, 10, A1, 28, 10, 40, 00, 2B, D0, 83, FA, 01, 76, 0D, 8B, 4C, 1E, 24, 03, C8, 03, CF, E8, F2, FE, FF, FF, A1, 20, 10, 40, 00, 83, C6, 40, 03, F3...
 
[+]

Entropy:
7.0469

Developed / compiled with:
Microsoft Visual C++

Code size:
574 KB (587,776 bytes)

The file Spybot-Search-Destroy.exe has been seen being distributed by the following URL.

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