home

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:
be26e654a0947aa15d2149e92bf9bfe3

SHA-1:
7295fbb91b745b81e519011ee9ce2df532d54613

SHA-256:
e48f6a87f0dbc8c2b78f249b19a867b63c89f01cb7b8edf2dad4be9803acf39f

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:
4/25/2024 7:46:29 PM UTC  (today)

Scan engine
Detection
Engine version

Reason Heuristics
PUP.Ask (M)
17.3.11.21

File size:
170.3 KB (174,415 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:
6/17/2008 6:00:00 AM

Valid to:
6/18/2011 5:59:59 AM

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:
2/5/2010 6:47:38 AM

OS version:
5.0

OS bitness:
Win32

Subsystem:
Windows GUI

Linker version:
9.0

Entry address:
0x7E64

Entry point:
E9, 41, E3, FF, FF, E9, 78, FE, FF, FF, 6A, 0C, 68, 78, 28, 41, 00, E8, 52, 1C, 00, 00, 83, 65, E4, 00, 8B, 75, 08, 3B, 35, 64, 5E, 41, 00, 77, 22, 6A, 04, E8, 44, 11, 00, 00, 59, 83, 65, FC, 00, 56, E8, 4B, 19, 00, 00, 59, 89, 45, E4, C7, 45, FC, FE, FF, FF, FF, E8, 09, 00, 00, 00, 8B, 45, E4, E8, 5E, 1C, 00, 00, C3, 6A, 04, E8, 3C, 10, 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, E0, 00, 41, 00, 83, 3D, 04, 55, 41, 00, 00, 75, 18, E8, 63, 40, 00...
 
[+]

Entropy:
7.2487

Packer / compiler:
tElock 0.99 - 1.0 private

Code size:
59.5 KB (60,928 bytes)

Scheduled Task
Task name:
Scheduled Update for Ask Toolbar

Trigger:
Daily (Runs daily at 4:05 AM)


Remove updatetask.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.