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ares.exe

Offercast - APN Install Manager

Ask.com

This installer is part of the Ask.com (APN) network which will install the Ask.com branded toolbar or browser extension which will take control of the web browser's search functions. The application ares.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 Offercast APN Install Manager installer.
Publisher:
Ask.com  (signed and verified)

Product:
Offercast - APN Install Manager

Version:
3.10.0.18770

MD5:
b87982bbe5276158b3d5d383903ce82d

SHA-1:
016f06154d2cf1a4f6cd0c56dbd5558afe91af0d

SHA-256:
4f6279909c4da70e8ae45ebe97805e43b2a522570930d8ab209b32ab2c57d9d7

Scanner detections:
1 / 68

Status:
Potentially unwanted

Explanation:
This is the APN Offercast install manager which will offer the user to opt-out of installing the Ask.com Toolbar as part of the setup routine.

Analysis date:
5/19/2024 6:07:58 AM UTC  (today)

Scan engine
Detection
Engine version

Reason Heuristics
PUP.Ask (M)
17.3.15.16

File size:
996.6 KB (1,020,512 bytes)

Product version:
3.10.0.18770

Copyright:
2010: (c) Ask.com. All rights reserved.

Original file name:
APNInstaller.exe

File type:
Executable application (Win32 EXE)

Installer:
Offercast APN Install Manager

Language:
English (United States)

Common path:
C:\users\{user}\downloads\ares.exe

Digital Signature
Signed by:
Ask.com

Authority:
Symantec Corporation

Valid from:
9/8/2015 2:00:00 AM

Valid to:
8/1/2016 1:59:59 AM

Subject:
CN=Ask.com, O=Ask.com, L=Oakland, S=California, C=US

Issuer:
CN=Symantec Class 3 SHA256 Code Signing CA, OU=Symantec Trust Network, O=Symantec Corporation, C=US

Serial number:
10B9E2525844B965BFD1932E5265E605

File PE Metadata
Compilation timestamp:
12/14/2015 9:42:39 PM

OS version:
5.1

OS bitness:
Win32

Subsystem:
Windows GUI

Linker version:
12.0

Entry address:
0xA11E

Entry point:
E8, 43, 51, 00, 00, E9, 7F, FE, FF, FF, E8, D0, 10, 00, 00, 85, C0, 75, 06, B8, 74, 01, 42, 00, C3, 83, C0, 0C, C3, 55, 8B, EC, 56, E8, E4, FF, FF, FF, 8B, 4D, 08, 51, 89, 08, E8, 20, 00, 00, 00, 59, 8B, F0, E8, 05, 00, 00, 00, 89, 30, 5E, 5D, C3, E8, 9C, 10, 00, 00, 85, C0, 75, 06, B8, 70, 01, 42, 00, C3, 83, C0, 08, C3, 55, 8B, EC, 8B, 4D, 08, 33, C0, 3B, 0C, C5, 08, 00, 42, 00, 74, 27, 40, 83, F8, 2D, 72, F1, 8D, 41, ED, 83, F8, 11, 77, 05, 6A, 0D, 58, 5D, C3, 8D, 81, 44, FF, FF, FF, 6A, 0E, 59, 3B, C8...
 
[+]

Code size:
92 KB (94,208 bytes)

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