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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:
3.0.0.125

MD5:
20dc934eb59e4bdb097173f2cbc0964c

SHA-1:
5a5135aae8913738905ed2fbc0b4160f519f6277

SHA-256:
20a0a1424f91285951a607b17da07b9e8705231c99751c8c4eabb3d744bff10f

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 'download manager' is also considered bundleware, a utility designed to download software (possibly legitimate or opensource) and bundle it with a number of optional offers including ad-supported utilities, toolbars, shopping comparison tools and browser extensions.

Analysis date:
12/26/2024 12:43:20 PM UTC  (today)

Scan engine
Detection
Engine version

Reason Heuristics
PUP.Air Software.DownloadAssistant.Bundler (M)
16.3.8.15

File size:
1.1 MB (1,130,544 bytes)

Product version:
3.0.0.125

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\inetcache\ie\{random}\adobe-reader.exe

Digital Signature
Signed by:
Download Assistant

Authority:
Symantec Corporation

Valid from:
7/3/2015 7:00:00 AM

Valid to:
7/3/2016 6:59:59 AM

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:
58D15D11CD769D740FA555864465D65B

File PE Metadata
Compilation timestamp:
1/30/2013 9:21:56 PM

OS version:
5.0

OS bitness:
Win32

Subsystem:
Windows GUI

Linker version:
2.25

CTPH (ssdeep):
24576:pxGnASs0BW0afi/7d1j5UaqPq2Uw09W5uVxcOX2tKhyGUSMWluU:i606f2VGew+YuVxJ2thfSMWluU

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...
 
[+]

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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