vlc-media-player.exe

program

Advertiso GmbH

The installer utilizes the installCore download manager which may bundle additional offers for various ad-supported toolbars, extensions and utilities. The application vlc-media-player.exe, “program Setup ” by Advertiso GmbH 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. With this installer, users are expecting to download the VideoLAN VLC media player but before that occurs they may be presented with additional offers, mostly potentially unwanted software or adware.
Publisher:
Advertiso GmbH  (signed and verified)

Product:
program

Description:
program Setup

Version:
2.0.3.2

MD5:
a1c225b5ce67b6b4f56c7b9015d88665

SHA-1:
206fcd21210722df82931abdb369eaa963adbdc2

SHA-256:
adacf7220c09e085e9a6cd88348922b731ba027200c474f1e751f14fc0680772

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 also known as bundleware, or downloadware, which is an downloader designed to simply deliver ad-supported offers in the setup routine of an otherwise legitimate software.

Analysis date:
8/2/2025 11:37:33 PM UTC  (a few moments ago)

Scan engine
Detection
Engine version

Reason Heuristics
PUP.installCore.Advertiso.Installer (M)
16.3.3.9

File size:
961.4 KB (984,504 bytes)

Product version:
3.6.5

Copyright:
installer web

File type:
Executable application (Win32 EXE)

Bundler/Installer:
installCore (using Inno Setup)

Language:
Language Neutral

Common path:
C:\users\{user}\appdata\local\microsoft\windows\inetcache\ie\{random}\vlc-media-player.exe

Digital Signature
Signed by:

Authority:
GlobalSign nv-sa

Valid from:
12/30/2015 6:45:26 AM

Valid to:
12/30/2016 6:45:26 AM

Subject:
CN=Advertiso GmbH, O=Advertiso GmbH, L=Hamburg, S=Hamburg, C=DE

Issuer:
CN=GlobalSign CodeSigning CA - SHA256 - G2, O=GlobalSign nv-sa, C=BE

Serial number:
112153241712D48BF879DC1FEB639FA4305C

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

OS version:
1.0

OS bitness:
Win32

Subsystem:
Windows GUI

Linker version:
2.25

CTPH (ssdeep):
24576:cmp9L9rRD8jHd2H1u/8VjDBzlkv3nFfcFh+C:cc9BRIbUg/8VjNGdcSC

Entry address:
0x9C40

Entry point:
55, 8B, EC, 83, C4, C4, 53, 56, 57, 33, C0, 89, 45, F0, 89, 45, DC, E8, 86, 94, FF, FF, E8, 8D, A6, FF, FF, E8, 1C, A9, FF, FF, E8, BF, A9, FF, FF, E8, 5E, C9, FF, FF, E8, C9, F2, FF, FF, E8, 30, F4, FF, FF, 33, C0, 55, 68, FC, A2, 40, 00, 64, FF, 30, 64, 89, 20, 33, D2, 55, 68, C5, A2, 40, 00, 64, FF, 32, 64, 89, 22, A1, 14, C0, 40, 00, E8, 96, FE, FF, FF, E8, C9, FA, FF, FF, 8D, 55, F0, 33, C0, E8, 83, CF, FF, FF, 8B, 55, F0, B8, 24, CE, 40, 00, E8, 32, 95, FF, FF, 6A, 02, 6A, 00, 6A, 01, 8B, 0D, 24, CE...
 
[+]

Entropy:
7.9341

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

Code size:
37 KB (37,888 bytes)

The file vlc-media-player.exe has been seen being distributed by the following URL.

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