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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 2 anti-malware scanners. It runs as a scheduled task under the Windows Task Scheduler triggered daily at a specified time. This file is typically installed with the program Ask Toolbar by Ask.com which is a potentially unwanted software program.
Publisher:
Ask.com  (signed and verified)

MD5:
a77abb05add34e1af4543fa7afac52b8

SHA-1:
7ee0bd4715344231d6d6164f1d1cafc0b76bb763

SHA-256:
d69faad5ba270e1bceebd5ba4171ae6490ac8ce652ce67b08abb4f617cdc4469

Scanner detections:
2 / 68

Status:
Potentially unwanted

Analysis date:
8/3/2025 7:52:35 PM UTC  (today)

Scan engine
Detection
Engine version

Boost by Reason
Optional.Task.Ask.K
188838

Reason Heuristics
PUP.Ask
15.4.21.13

File size:
134.6 KB (137,864 bytes)

File type:
Executable application (Win32 EXE)

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

Digital Signature
Signed by:
Ask.com

Authority:
VeriSign, Inc.

Valid from:
6/20/2011 3:00:00 AM

Valid to:
6/19/2014 2:59:59 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 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:
0965F2AC7236C7E1BDCA44ED139B273A

File PE Metadata
Compilation timestamp:
1/25/2013 12:17:09 AM

OS version:
5.0

OS bitness:
Win32

Subsystem:
Windows GUI

Linker version:
9.0

CTPH (ssdeep):
1536:nIrZcZqBLWuQi6gfDZGFNfbnyZ7TdFUkhYwlSJfCpkd/R5ji1bxb:nLhgfD0FEFTbFF6ck9R5jAbJ

Entry address:
0xAA28

Entry point:
E8, 88, 4F, 00, 00, E9, 78, FE, FF, FF, 6A, 0C, 68, A0, B8, 41, 00, E8, 8E, 01, 00, 00, 83, 65, E4, 00, 8B, 75, 08, 3B, 35, E4, 15, 42, 00, 77, 22, 6A, 04, E8, 1D, 14, 00, 00, 59, 83, 65, FC, 00, 56, E8, 24, 1C, 00, 00, 59, 89, 45, E4, C7, 45, FC, FE, FF, FF, FF, E8, 09, 00, 00, 00, 8B, 45, E4, E8, 9A, 01, 00, 00, C3, 6A, 04, E8, 18, 13, 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, 74, 81, 41, 00, 83, 3D, 14, FC, 41, 00, 00, 75, 18, E8, 09, 46, 00...
 
[+]

Entropy:
6.4786

Code size:
88.5 KB (90,624 bytes)

Scheduled Task
Task name:
Scheduled Update for Ask Toolbar

Path:
D:\WINDOWS\Tasks\Scheduled Update for Ask Toolbar.job

Trigger:
Daily (Runs daily at 10:31 PM)


The file updatetask.exe has been discovered within the following programs.

Ask Toolbar  by Ask.com
The Ask Toolbar is a web-browser add-on that can appear as an extra bar added to the browser's window and/or menu. It is often installed (sometimes without warning) during the installation of other software. Ask.
help.ask.com/link/portal/30015/30018/Article/1/How-do-I-remove-the-Ask-com-Toolbar
81% remove it
 
Powered by Should I Remove It?

The executing file has been seen to make the following network communications in live environments.

TCP (HTTP):
Connects to a23-52-91-27.deploy.static.akamaitechnologies.com  (23.52.91.27:80)

TCP (HTTP):
Connects to a23-35-43-27.deploy.static.akamaitechnologies.com  (23.35.43.27:80)

TCP (HTTP):
Connects to a23-4-43-27.deploy.static.akamaitechnologies.com  (23.4.43.27:80)

TCP (HTTP):
Connects to a23-56-155-27.deploy.static.akamaitechnologies.com  (23.56.155.27:80)

TCP (HTTP):
Connects to a23-50-197-163.deploy.static.akamaitechnologies.com  (23.50.197.163:80)

TCP (HTTP):
Connects to a23-15-155-27.deploy.static.akamaitechnologies.com  (23.15.155.27:80)

TCP (HTTP):
Connects to a23-37-43-27.deploy.static.akamaitechnologies.com  (23.37.43.27:80)

TCP (HTTP):
Connects to a23-55-155-27.deploy.static.akamaitechnologies.com  (23.55.155.27:80)

TCP (HTTP):
Connects to a23-35-37-163.deploy.static.akamaitechnologies.com  (23.35.37.163:80)

TCP (HTTP):
Connects to a23-57-219-27.deploy.static.akamaitechnologies.com  (23.57.219.27:80)

TCP (HTTP):
Connects to a23-51-235-27.deploy.static.akamaitechnologies.com  (23.51.235.27:80)

TCP (HTTP):
Connects to a23-50-203-27.deploy.static.akamaitechnologies.com  (23.50.203.27:80)

TCP (HTTP):
Connects to a23-50-155-27.deploy.static.akamaitechnologies.com  (23.50.155.27:80)

TCP (HTTP):
Connects to a23-51-123-27.deploy.static.akamaitechnologies.com  (23.51.123.27:80)

TCP (HTTP):
Connects to a23-50-91-27.deploy.static.akamaitechnologies.com  (23.50.91.27:80)

TCP (HTTP):
Connects to a23-41-75-27.deploy.static.akamaitechnologies.com  (23.41.75.27:80)

TCP (HTTP):
Connects to a23-15-149-163.deploy.static.akamaitechnologies.com  (23.15.149.163:80)

TCP (HTTP):
Connects to a23-58-43-27.deploy.static.akamaitechnologies.com  (23.58.43.27:80)

TCP (HTTP):
Connects to a23-43-139-27.deploy.static.akamaitechnologies.com  (23.43.139.27:80)

TCP (HTTP):
Connects to a23-43-133-163.deploy.static.akamaitechnologies.com  (23.43.133.163:80)

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