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adobe-reader.exe

Adobe Reader

Download Assistant

This is part of the Air Installer, a download manager which bundles applications with offers for additional 3rd party software, mostly unwanted adware, and may be installed with minimal consent. The application adobe-reader.exe by Download Assistant 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 AirInstaller Download Manager installer. The installer is marketed through download protals and search ads as Adobe's free Reader but will also install additional software offers which include adware, PUPs and browser toolbars.
Publisher:
Download Assistant  (signed and verified)

Product:
Adobe Reader

Version:
3.0.0.134

MD5:
3f7a31e85dc0e4b97596cbc198fc5f33

SHA-1:
28076e21bbfc63513d1761c837e5c7a85adeddce

SHA-256:
2ab7d9a775ec83532fae53aafdf9d8ef8ab82a60e5ac1a9348842729956a4d27

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 an installer which may bundle legitimate applications with offers for additional 3rd-party applications that may be unwanted by the user. While the installer contains an 'opt-out' feature this is not set be defult and is usually overlooked.

Analysis date:
12/26/2024 12:12:27 PM UTC  (today)

Scan engine
Detection
Engine version

Reason Heuristics
PUP.Air Software.DownloadAssistant.Bundler (M)
16.2.21.4

File size:
1.1 MB (1,130,984 bytes)

Product version:
3.0.0.134

Copyright:
(c) Download Assistant

File type:
Executable application (Win32 EXE)

Bundler/Installer:
AirInstaller Download Manager

Language:
Language Neutral

Common path:
C:\users\{user}\appdata\local\microsoft\windows\temporary internet files\content.ie5\{random}\adobe-reader.exe

Digital Signature
Signed by:
Download Assistant

Authority:
Symantec Corporation

Valid from:
12/2/2015 12:00:00 AM

Valid to:
3/2/2017 11:59:59 PM

Subject:
CN=Download Assistant, O=Download Assistant, L=Victoria, S=British Columbia, C=CA

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

Serial number:
04A6D3440F1D06EE9CA4CE2B30C76606

File PE Metadata
Compilation timestamp:
1/30/2013 2:21:56 PM

OS version:
5.0

OS bitness:
Win32

Subsystem:
Windows GUI

Linker version:
2.25

CTPH (ssdeep):
24576:8xGXXbhQin+Sdw6mpIAzOGPH7PtK5vN/WAKFcROE6XQ+:BHb2ieIA6U7lE2EN+

Entry address:
0x113BC

Entry point:
55, 8B, EC, 83, C4, A4, 53, 56, 57, 33, C0, 89, 45, C4, 89, 45, C0, 89, 45, A4, 89, 45, D0, 89, 45, C8, 89, 45, CC, 89, 45, D4, 89, 45, D8, 89, 45, EC, B8, 2C, 00, 41, 00, E8, E8, 51, FF, FF, 33, C0, 55, 68, 9E, 1A, 41, 00, 64, FF, 30, 64, 89, 20, 33, D2, 55, 68, 5A, 1A, 41, 00, 64, FF, 32, 64, 89, 22, A1, 48, 5B, 41, 00, E8, 16, D8, FF, FF, E8, 65, D3, FF, FF, 80, 3D, DC, 2A, 41, 00, 00, 74, 0C, E8, 2B, D9, FF, FF, 33, C0, E8, 80, 32, FF, FF, 8D, 55, EC, 33, C0, E8, E2, A3, FF, FF, 8B, 55, EC, B8, 50, 86...
 
[+]

Entropy:
6.9604

Developed / compiled with:
Microsoft Visual C++

Code size:
65.5 KB (67,072 bytes)

The file adobe-reader.exe has been seen being distributed by the following URL.

http://download.acrobat-reader.net/v2/click/jsttxfb6/?d=http://acrobat-reader.net/.../adobe_reader.exe&key=fd2271947d4cf555f7e02f1b27416fb1917bde27dfa69741ee017f468411dcdb&sid=readernet&uid=&affiliate_image=&product_image=&n=Adobe Reader&filename=adobe-reader

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