home

ultimate-word-search.exe

Puzzle Zone Games LLC

The installer utilizes the installCore download manager which may bundle additional offers for various ad-supported toolbars, extensions and utilities. The application ultimate-word-search.exe by Puzzle Zone Games 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 installerlaunch-pz1.com.
Publisher:
Puzzle Zone Games LLC  (signed and verified)

MD5:
68abea790ff8d3103f6ca20041a2bae9

SHA-1:
521343e6633e355c62f329e38c562335b3c2ee91

SHA-256:
8db415366644d5fffc8f0dec52a18e6e27ac160bb02f675eac4a1695f8ca238a

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:
4/19/2024 1:48:55 PM UTC  (today)

Scan engine
Detection
Engine version

Reason Heuristics
PUP.installCore.PuzzleZoneGames (M)
16.2.15.18

File size:
762.1 KB (780,368 bytes)

File type:
Executable application (Win32 EXE)

Bundler/Installer:
installCore (using Inno Setup)

Common path:
C:\users\{user}\downloads\ultimate-word-search.exe

Digital Signature
Signed by:
Puzzle Zone Games LLC

Authority:
VeriSign, Inc.

Valid from:
3/31/2013 7:00:00 PM

Valid to:
5/1/2015 6:59:59 PM

Subject:
CN=Puzzle Zone Games LLC, OU=Digital ID Class 3 - Microsoft Software Validation v2, O=Puzzle Zone Games LLC, L=Jersey City, S=New Jersey, C=US

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:
148574E327EC8ED99B4372B65FF2B06D

File PE Metadata
Compilation timestamp:
6/19/1992 5:22:17 PM

OS version:
1.0

OS bitness:
Win32

Subsystem:
Windows GUI

Linker version:
2.25

CTPH (ssdeep):
12288:LyMJfsGQGjqAahRUYlAOcwNnQbReTZDK/92LEZrTz2AS2jArJ/jE+oy5JWlxSIFh:LyMJfsCGvhRUKtNnQCZDfUgJ8ltaZThy

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:
7.8428

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

Code size:
36 KB (36,864 bytes)

The file ultimate-word-search.exe has been seen being distributed by the following URL.

http://installerlaunch-pz1.com/dl.php?dl=pz/pz_16627_v1.exe&dn=ultimate-word-search.exe&sid=1579-us&pid=1524&browser=chrome&ptrk=1qdsftraaheuc10vt0283d9mq7&TYP_URL=http://.../ty.php

Remove ultimate-word-search.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.