home

ares.exe.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.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. The file has been seen being downloaded from www.cycletowerbest.com.
Publisher:
Ask.com  (signed and verified)

Product:
Offercast - APN Install Manager

Version:
3.10.0.18770

MD5:
add06928b992558efd902191db09f642

SHA-1:
ed9a32c3a63debd5f691c8edb8bb2ac634f35c73

SHA-256:
441290e23873adb5f50b585f1cd5e0204e3686ee8520ba36e38ec78992ca11c1

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:
12/25/2024 7:44:28 AM UTC  (today)

Scan engine
Detection
Engine version

Reason Heuristics
PUP.Ask.Installer (M)
16.3.15.22

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.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

CTPH (ssdeep):
24576:A9umdkXaRAxWgKD8Il6Qn642dQQINtmmgesjNT7Q3Vfe357:yJkqSkgKVko0INtn+d7yFU7

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)

The file ares.exe.exe has been seen being distributed by the following URL.

http://www.cycletowerbest.com/c?x=I Lg4IoU8hCUCT3BUG/epxS6U6A21Ha1qVVD euoMMA=&c=sDh9BlJ0WxmLYqGx tL6SGbrWQdbb7c8BnR YAuBoQSfBIEDdsH7LxWarG4jRYhP7i0yqE6OnMXPvLTuZNiMWMGTyWyD7gk83BnSDIJBHvKo1zWzRL7GAVzLY0M4imih&downloadAs=ares.exe&fallback_url=http://ak.pipoffers.apnpartners.com/static/partners/dynamic/.../SFInstaller_ASG_aresgalaxy_11785577_.exe

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