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updatetask.exe

Ask.com

This is the updater scheduled task run by the Ask.com branded toolbar that runs every 24 hours and suggests updates to the browser add-on (and the web browser) and will perform automatic updates to the toolbar with new functionality. The application updatetask.exe by Ask.com has been detected as a potentially unwanted program 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 APN Stub installer. It runs as a scheduled task under the Windows Task Scheduler triggered daily at a specified time.
Publisher:
Ask.com  (signed and verified)

MD5:
a17dadc869493ec2b8b8696c173be779

SHA-1:
4692eb3c2a72fbafa8c91486e5b12f1ec44c312a

SHA-256:
e8e72ebe0077853bad9e6ea4c1f3dc489272d2f593e94ed9f3125da7e72eb786

Scanner detections:
1 / 68

Status:
Potentially unwanted

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.

Analysis date:
4/26/2024 12:01:49 PM UTC  (today)

Scan engine
Detection
Engine version

Reason Heuristics
PUP.Ask (M)
17.3.15.22

File size:
205.3 KB (210,255 bytes)

File type:
Executable application (Win32 EXE)

Installer:
APN Stub

Common path:
C:\Program Files\ask.com\updatetask.exe

Digital Signature
Signed by:
Ask.com

Authority:
VeriSign, Inc.

Valid from:
6/16/2008 5:00:00 PM

Valid to:
6/17/2011 4:59:59 PM

Subject:
CN=Ask.com, OU=Distribution, OU=Digital ID Class 3 - Microsoft Software Validation v2, O=Ask.com, L=Oakland, S=California, C=US

Issuer:
CN=VeriSign Class 3 Code Signing 2004 CA, OU=Terms of use at https://www.verisign.com/rpa (c)04, OU=VeriSign Trust Network, O="VeriSign, Inc.", C=US

Serial number:
286F8A30E2EAC6965B936F826A05305D

File PE Metadata
Compilation timestamp:
2/1/2011 7:10:05 PM

OS version:
5.0

OS bitness:
Win32

Subsystem:
Windows GUI

Linker version:
9.0

Entry address:
0xA224

Entry point:
E9, EE, 2C, 00, 00, E9, 78, FE, FF, FF, 6A, 0C, 68, C0, A5, 41, 00, E8, CE, 1E, 00, 00, 83, 65, E4, 00, 8B, 75, 08, 3B, 35, 24, 05, 42, 00, 77, 22, 6A, 04, E8, C1, 13, 00, 00, 59, 83, 65, FC, 00, 56, E8, C8, 1B, 00, 00, 59, 89, 45, E4, C7, 45, FC, FE, FF, FF, FF, E8, 09, 00, 00, 00, 8B, 45, E4, E8, DA, 1E, 00, 00, C3, 6A, 04, E8, BC, 12, 00, 00, 59, C3, 8B, FF, 55, 8B, EC, 56, 8B, 75, 08, 83, FE, E0, 0F, 87, A1, 00, 00, 00, 53, 57, 8B, 3D, 8C, 71, 41, 00, 83, 3D, 54, EB, 41, 00, 00, 75, 18, E8, DE, 42, 00...
 
[+]

Entropy:
7.1816

Packer / compiler:
Xtreme-Protector v1.05

Code size:
86.5 KB (88,576 bytes)

Scheduled Task
Task name:
Scheduled Update for Ask Toolbar

Trigger:
Daily (Runs daily at 3:05 PM)


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