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TBNotifier.exe

Ask TBNotifier

APN LLC

This is a component of the Ask.com toolbar, a browser extension that will modify the default web browser's search provider, home page and various other settings. The application TBNotifier.exe, “Ask Toolbar Notifier” by APN has been detected as a potentially unwanted program by 1 anti-malware scanner with very strong indications that the file is a potential threat. It is set to automatically execute when any user logs into Windows (through the local user run registry setting) with the name ‘ApnTBMon’. Additionally, the file is typically installed by a number of programs including ooVoo Search App powered by Ask by APN, LLC and Virtual DJ Toolbar by APN, LLC, both potentially unwanted software.
Publisher:
APN  (signed by APN LLC)

Product:
Ask TBNotifier

Description:
Ask Toolbar Notifier

Version:
31.20.0.2587

MD5:
b1227eeffa56da6d374169ffffd17228

SHA-1:
61d555e19490bf2391086b4b0c0db80840cee5e6

SHA-256:
6e8a8e9779cafdee17fa5699f75ed614baa0f9ae06b1591bd4048627a0411f9c

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:
5/25/2024 5:03:59 AM UTC  (today)

Scan engine
Detection
Engine version

Reason Heuristics
PUP.Ask (M)
17.3.10.21

File size:
1.6 MB (1,684,360 bytes)

Product version:
31.20.0.2587

Copyright:
(c) APN LLC. All rights reserved.

Original file name:
TBNotifier.exe

File type:
Executable application (Win32 EXE)

Common path:
C:\Program Files\askpartnernetwork\toolbar\updater\tbnotifier.exe

Digital Signature
Signed by:
APN LLC

Authority:
VeriSign, Inc.

Valid from:
2/26/2015 3:00:00 AM

Valid to:
5/28/2018 2:59:59 AM

Subject:
CN=APN LLC, O=APN LLC, 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:
74BAC30967391B08242D79F7F79449E2

File PE Metadata
Compilation timestamp:
4/24/2015 2:25:45 AM

OS version:
5.1

OS bitness:
Win32

Subsystem:
Windows GUI

Linker version:
12.0

Entry address:
0xDCD7B

Entry point:
E8, 7C, 01, 01, 00, E9, 7F, FE, FF, FF, CC, CC, CC, CC, CC, CC, CC, CC, CC, CC, CC, 8B, 4C, 24, 04, F7, C1, 03, 00, 00, 00, 74, 24, 8A, 01, 83, C1, 01, 84, C0, 74, 4E, F7, C1, 03, 00, 00, 00, 75, EF, 05, 00, 00, 00, 00, 8D, A4, 24, 00, 00, 00, 00, 8D, A4, 24, 00, 00, 00, 00, 8B, 01, BA, FF, FE, FE, 7E, 03, D0, 83, F0, FF, 33, C2, 83, C1, 04, A9, 00, 01, 01, 81, 74, E8, 8B, 41, FC, 84, C0, 74, 32, 84, E4, 74, 24, A9, 00, 00, FF, 00, 74, 13, A9, 00, 00, 00, FF, 74, 02, EB, CD, 8D, 41, FF, 8B, 4C, 24, 04, 2B...
 
[+]

Entropy:
6.4313

Code size:
1 MB (1,060,352 bytes)

Startup File (All Users Run)
Registry location:
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

Name:
ApnTBMon

Command:
"C:\Program Files\askpartnernetwork\toolbar\updater\tbnotifier.exe"


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

Ask Shopping Toolbar  by APN LLC
This is an Ask.com ad-injection toolbar that is bundled with various 3rd-party programs and installers. From the site: "The enhanced shopping search experience includes rich content, a variety of product listings, and visual product search results.
help.ask.com/link/portal/30015/30018/Article/227/What-features-does-the-Shopping-Toolbar-by-Ask-offer
79% remove it
Ask Toolbar  by APN LLC
The Ask Toolbar is a web browser extension and toolbar that delivers contextual based advertising as well as modify the user's web browser home and search pages to provide advertising and search.
apn.ask.com
74% remove it
Avira SearchFree Toolbar  by Avira GmbH
The Avira SearchFree Toolbar is a web browser toolbar and extension that modifies the browsers search and home pages as well as delivers contextual based advertising. This toolbar currently supports Internet Explorer, Firefox and Chrome.
www.avira.com/en/avira-searchfree-toolbar
76% remove it
ooVoo Search App powered by Ask  by APN, LLC
ooVoo Search App is an advertising-supported web browser toolbar that may modify the browser's home page, search provider and new tab pages.
www.apn.ask.com/products/toolbars
88% remove it
Search App by Ask  by APN, LLC
Publisher's description - “Quixey and Ask have entered into a deal in which apps from Quixey’s database, whether for mobile or the PC, will be integrated into search results. It’s going live today and should be rolling out now, although it’s not yet live for me.”
84% remove it
Shopping App by Ask  by APN, LLC
Publisher's description - “The Shopping Toolbar by Ask has the single purpose of enhancing a user’s online shopping experience by offering an enhanced shopping search experience, links to popular shopping sites and/or additional content such as coupons, special offers and the latest deals from many merchants.”
79% remove it
Virtual DJ Toolbar  by APN, LLC
Virtual DJ Toolbar is an Ask.com (Ask Partner Network) Toolbar that will provide limited web browser functionality but will modify the user's home and search pages and providers to an Ask.com managed partner search engine.
68% remove it
 
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The executing file has been seen to make the following network communications in live environments.

TCP (HTTP):
Connects to www.search-results.com  (66.235.120.111:80)

TCP (HTTP):
Connects to www.search.ask.com  (23.76.222.3:80)

TCP (HTTP):
Connects to websearch.search-results.com  (199.36.100.106:80)

 
http://websearch.search-results.com/redirect?client=ff&src=kw&tb=GET-SRS&o=626786685&locale=us_ZZ&apn_uid=1880375757&apn_ptnrs=2R&apn_sauid=1253583838&apn_dtid=get001YYPT&q=

TCP (HTTP):
Connects to ss.websearch.ask.com  (174.129.25.170:80)

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